
<te« B Vitas' 

Book 
Copyright N?.. 




COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



REV. A. JACOBS 



GOD'S GUIDING HAND 



BY 



A. JACOBS 



EVANGELIST 



"He leadeth me in the paths 
of righteousness for his name's 
sake." 



<& 



PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR 

CHICAGO, ILL., 5725 UNION AV. 






LIBRARY of OONGRESS 
two Copies fiscal veu 

JUN 2& iyu5 
^ //* 3/2. 

COPY B. 






Copyright, 1905, by 
A. Jacobs. 



PREFACE. 

This little book is written not to tell of what I have 
been; but to show the love of my Heavenly Father, to- 
wards one that was lost. 

Although requested by friends I refused to have it 
published. 

Last September while resting the Lord impressed it 
upon my heart to write, that they who read might see 
that my God hath done great things for me. 

I dedicate these few pages to my wife who has been 
a help to me in my spiritual life from girlhood. 

A. Jacobs. 

Englewood, Chicago, 111., April, 1905. 



Con 



tents. 



I Birth Place, Early Events of Life. . . 7 
II Loss of Brother and Mother 13 

III Trip Across the Atlantic to Canada. . . 16 

IV My First Business Experience 19 

V The Promise I Made to my Mother 25 

VI Meeting the Little Girl, An Argument 

on Religion 29 

VII My Sunday School Class while a Bar- 
Tender 41 

VIII The Effects of Drink or Scenes Behind 

the Bar 48 

IX My Conversion and my First Prayer 

Answered 54 

X Prayer 63 

XI Disputes on Sanctification 67 

XII Marriage 70 

XIII My Sanctification 80 

XIV Called to Preach 89 

XV Testings 95 

XVI Mission Work and First Tent Work. . . . 103 
XVII Commencement of Traveling as Evan- 
gelist 112 

XVIII Talk on Love 118 

XIX The First Psalm 124 



INTRODUCTION. 

•Rev. A. Jacobs in the volume that follows gives a 
history of his life. The writer heard a goodly portion of 
this biography fall from the narrator's lips at a camp 
ground in Nebraska. 

He was deeply impressed with it then and was glad 
to hear the speaker afterwards say he intended putting 
the story of his life in book form. 

When we consider the many adverse circumstances 
in the lad's childhood, the almost hopeless surroundings 
of his youth, and then under God's grace and blessings 
his escape from and victory over all, the volume reads 
like a thrilling romance. 

When we observe how much is done for some chil- 
dren and all in vain and then read here how little was 
done for this boy and how much was arrayed against 
him and yet his rise into grace and into a useful life, 
we realize another spell of wonder and indulge in re- 

5 



6 god's guiding hand. 

newed praises to God for such a triumph over the world, 
the flesh, and the Devil. As we also take note of the 
way God sent his companion and helpmate of his life 
to him we feel that it was as truly providential and 
heaven intended as the bringing of Rebecca to Isaac 
and the coming of Rachel into the life of Jacob. 

We do not doubt in the least that this book will do 
much good as it is circulated and read. Like its author, 
.we believe it will lead a large number of souls to the 
Divine One, who has come to save men and to give to any 
and all who will accept not only a free pardon but a full 
salvation from all sin. 

B. Carradine. 



CHAPTER I. 

BIRTH PLACE EARLY EVENTS OF LIFE. 

I was born of English parents in the Village of Gis- 
lingham, Suffolk county, England. 

The first recollection I have of the old home is fresh 
in my memory to-day. The old house was standing about 
fifty yards from the road with its low-thatched or straw 
roof, the roof being from eighteen inches to two feet thick, 
and the house was known as the Six Bells or the Village 
Inn, or better known to the people here as the Village 
Hotel. 

In this country, or any part of England, all the hotels 
or the public houses sell liquor, which is sold by bar 
maids, and is usually served in jugs. I am sorry to say I 
was born in this place, but was not accountable. I am 
thankful to say that the Lord's eyes, which run to and 
fro throughout the whole earth, were upon me and I see 

7 



8 god's guiding hand. 

now the real leadings of God all along the way, protect- 
ing me from danger. 

My father, while he was the proprietor of this hotel, 
was also engaged in building and contracting, which 
placed the responsibility of the children upon mother, 
who was a frail and sickly woman. 

My parents were members of the Church of England 
or Episcopal Church, and at this time my father was clerk 
of the village church ; he would take his place under the 
preacher and would read the prayers, also the first and 
second lesson. Every Sunday my father marched my 
brothers and sisters, with myself, two by two, to church, 
and I well remember how he would open the pew door 
and let us in, then take his place below the preacher, 
read the first and second lesson, as I said before, then 
lead in the responses. 

I would like to remind you, dear reader, that it would 
be a good idea if parents would take their children to 
church with them to-day, instead of them running on 
the streets 

One tning I could not understand, how it was that 
father would go to church, read the prayers, hear the 
preacher, and yet the preacher and his people spending 
their Sabbath afternoons in drinking, but it has all been 
explained to me since I have grown up. The church did 
not preach against drinking but allowed it. I do hope 



GOD S GUIDING HAND. y 

and pray that any one reading this book who is a Chris- 
tian or even a church member will do all in their power 
to blot out this awful curse. The church bells would 
ring out their chimes on a Sabbath and every person felt 
it their duty to attend the services at the church on 
Sabbath morning and then in the afternoon gather at the 
village inn and drink. The law permitted it to be sold 
on that day, while the small children romped and played 
on the village green, as my parents would not allow us 
around the tap room where the liquor was served. 

There comes to my mind, while writing, one thing 
which has been impressed upon my memory, that I feel 
it a duty I owe to the reader of this little book to make 
special mention of. My parents, who sold liquor and 
made a profit thereby, saw danger in having the children 
around, knowing it was not a fit place for them ; while 
other parents would bring their children, and even put 
the intoxicating cup to their lips when they were but 
babes. 

Parents, for the sake of the future of your children, 
do not do it. How can you find fault or correct them 
when they have grown up if you start them on the path 
to ruin. Any number of parents are sowing the seed that 
will reap a harvest of drunkards. Many other things 
could I say, but a word to the wise is sufficient. At my 
birthplace I suffered the saddest loss that can come to 



10 god's guiding hand. 

any boy or girl, namely, my mother's death, which I shall 
speak of later. To-day my thoughts go back to the old 
home. I would like to see it, if standing; also the old 
graveyard, mother's last resting place, the old church, 
and once more walk across the village green. If mem- 
ory does not die on earth, and while we are thousands 
of miles away can travel back, what will it be when we 
are called from this world into the presence of God, 
especially if we have neglected the offered mercies of 
salvation through the gift of His only Begotten Son, who 
suffered and died that we might be redeemed from a 
life of sin; in order that we might be fit subjects for 
His kingdom in glory. 

It is now over thirty years since I saw the place of 
my birth, yet memory says it was but yesterday. Dear 
reader, let us think of the future, for we all will have 
to give "an account of the deeds done in the body, 
whether they be good or evil." In infancy I was sur- 
rounded with strong drink and raised in the midst of it; 
also, father was a drinking man, but through it all my 
Heavenly Father has kept me to this day, without know- 
ing the taste of it. To God be all the glory, for His 
keeping power and watchful care over me. 

Oh, that all of the precious children of to-day, who 
are brought up with such surroundings may be able to 



god's guiding hand. 11 

say at least what I have been permitted to say when they 
grow up to manhood and womanhood! 

In the beginning of my boyhood days I became a very 
mischievous boy, full of fun and mirth, and was not 
satisfied with the quiet things of life, but was always 
looking for excitement. My first experience of correc- 
tion away from home was in the old Episcopal church. 
Father marched my three brothers, two sisters and my- 
self to church, then he opened the pewdoor and we all 
filed in. Parents, do you take your children to church? 

While the preacher was preaching I saw the old sex- 
ton walking down the aisle with a long stick. I com- 
menced to talk, and asked my oldest brother why my 
father kept so still. The old sexton saw me, and told 
me to keep quiet. I said, "I won't." Immediately he 
reached out his stick and gave me a knock on the dead, 
and also told my father. 

I can assure you after reaching home I received an- 
other correction, and was sent to my room for the bal- 
ance of the day, without any dinner; but that did not 
subdue me, for my next experience was to set fire to 
father's workshop. The family had been talking about 
a fire, and I wanted to see one, so I did not know any 
place better than father's workshop, where there were 
plenty of shavings. Being possessed with a spirit of 
meanness I watched where he placed his key, so one day 



12 god's guiding hand. 

when he was away to the county-seat I got the key, made 
a pile of shavings, and set fire to the pile. 

When the fire began to burn I made for the door, but 
upon reaching it I found it was fastened so I could not 
open it. God surely protected me from death, for just 
at this time my Uncle Charles passed by, heard my cries 
and saw the flames. At once he came and rescued me, 
with the assistance of others. They were successful in 
saving the building, for which I was thankful. At that 
time father had no insurance, but it is hard to say 
what would have happened to me when he came home 
if mother had not hid me for two days from him, for 
he had a very hasty temper and a heavy hand. Mother 
made him promise that he would not whip me, but punish 
me some other way. I had to go to bed for a week with- 
out supper, but a mother's love could not let her boy go 
hungry, and so she would bring me some supper after 
I had laid down in my cot. I would then laugh to think 
that father thought I was being punished, but was not. 
This is a good way to send a child to ruin. 

I often thought of the number of people who are 
hiding things from our Heavenly Father, thinking He 
cannot see, or do not know what is going on or transpir- 
ing, but He knows all things. A little while after the 
above I was called to witness a scene that left a deep im- 
pression upon my mind, which has never been erased. 



CHAPTER II. 



LOSS OF BROTHER AND MOTHER. 

My brother, Alfred, was out cutting chaff with the 
cutting box, and cut off the two front fingers of his right 
hand. The doctor did everything he could to save his 
life, but failed. The day came when the messenger, 
death, came for him. I was out playing in the yard 
when my oldest sister cried out, "Mother wants you, Al- 
bert; come quickly." When I went to her she took me 
up to Alfred's room, and around the bed stood the whole 
family. While there I heard Alfred say, "Don't cry 
mother; please don't; I'll come back for you." 

Just then he looked up and said : "Mother, do you 
see those beautiful gates up yonder?" 

"Where, Alfred?" 

"Why, there?" pointing with his finger heavenward. 
"See, the beautiful gates are opening." 

13 



14 god's guiding hand. 

Father looked at mother, shook his head, and com- 
menced to cry. Alfred said, "Kiss me good-by, mother, 
they are coming for me," and we all kissed him good-bye. 

"Yes, the angels are coming for me, and they will 
soon be here. Don't cry. I will send them back for you, 
mother; good-bye," and his spirit took its departure. 
Will the gates open for you, reader? And are you pre- 
pared to meet your God? 

"Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people." 

"In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were 
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place 
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will 
come again and receive you unto myself ; that where I 
am there ye may be also, and whither I go ye know, and 
the way ye know." (John 14 : 2, 3, 4.) I thank God that I 
was permitted to be present, for from that day I always 
thought of the gate and wondered if it would open for me. 

Three months after the death of Alfred, my mother 
died from quick consumption, which followed after a 
severe cold that she contracted in taking care of my 
brother. Boys, while you have a mother, love and treat 
her kindly, for there is no one like a mother. O, how 
I wished I had the privilege that some young men have, 
of taking mother to church and hearing her pray. Some- 
thing I do not remember hearing her do, although my 
sister, Emma, informs me that she always prayed. This 



god's guiding hand. 15 

of course was a great loss to me, for I was only five years 
of age at this time, but the things I do remember are so 
stamped upon my memory that I can never forget. Moth- 
ers, teach your children to distinguish right from wrong 
when young; teach them how to pray and let them hear 
you pray, that they may know some one is interested in 
their spiritual welfare. 

Some may say I was too young to understand and 
would not miss mother at that age ; but I did. I missed 
Alfred, but, O, when mother left, how I missed her ! She 
was the one I went to with my little troubles, and how 
she would wipe away the tears ! There is no hand like a 
mother's; no voice so sweet: only mother's kiss could 
ease the pain; but when she went I missed all this. 
Thank God, we can meet our loved ones in the prepared 
home eternal in the heavens not made with hands. 



CHAPTER III. 



TRIP ACROSS THE ATLANTIC TO CANADA. 

Father sold out his business and decided to sail for 
Canada and try his fortunes in a new country. About 
a year after mother died father married again. When 
he took us to our new mother I refused to call her 
mother, because I knew her as Mrs. B., but yet, reader, 
I thank God that she thought enough of me to correct 
me not only with her lips but with the rod. Some may 
say step-mothers are hard to get along with, but I don't 
know that mine was as hard as she might have been, for 
I must confess I did many things for meanness. From 
this time on I call this woman mother. 

The morning came for us to set sail for Canada and 
leave the homeland. We all took the old steamer Den- 
mark, of the Dominion line. Father, my new mother, 
two brothers, two sisters, and myself watched with in- 

God's Guiding Hand— 2 16 



god's guiding hand. 17 

terest, as the land kept fading from view, but I wanted 
to return, and cried hard to go back again. It puts me 
in mind of some Christians who leave the land of rest 
and peace to get mixed up with the things of the world, 
but when they want to go back they find it hard to return. 

I soon found out on shipboard that I did not like my 
new mother, because she would not let me have my way. 
She would bring me away from the side of the ship so I 
could not see the water and my first outburst against her 
was, "I won't mind you," but it turned out a case of 
"You will have to," and from that time my daily whip- 
ping commenced. We had a disagreeable and rough voy- 
age, being twenty-two days on the ocean. Some days 
we never expected to see land. I remember well hearing 
my mother say to father, "If ever I reach land I shall 
never go on water again." We were all a very sickly 
crowd when we landed in New York at Castle Garden. 
While passing from the ship to land we were each handed 
a New Testament. I was proud of my little Bible. 

After staying in New York a few days, we hurried 
to the city of Guelph, Canada, and settled there for a few 
months. We became acquainted with a good old Meth- 
odist brother who informed my father that the Church of 
England was not much in this part of Canada. So we at- 
tended the Methodist church while there. I would like to 
mention, dear reader, that my father would not allow us 



18 god's guiding hand. 

boys (my oldest brother was eighteen years old) to black 
our shoes on Sunday; nor would he allow us to prepare 
the kindling wood, or send us to the grocery stores, to 
desecrate the Sabbath in any way. We were taught to re- 
member the Sabbath day and keep it holy ! 

It would be well if the parents of to-day who pro- 
fess to be followers of the meek and lowly Jesus would 
remember the commandments. I thank the Lord for the 
teaching I received on that line when a boy, for it helped 
me many a time through life. 

I began my school days in the city of Guelph, and 
was successful in taking home an honor card every week. 



CHAPTER IV. 



MY FIRST BUSINESS EXPERIENCE. 

My father bought out a business at Stratford, On- 
tario, and again went into the hotel business, which was 
called "The Continental Hotel." We lived here a year, 
but the business was a failure. He sold out and moved 
to Kingston, and in this place I embarked on my first 
business career. I received a penny for going on some 
message for a neighbor. I invested the penny in papers, 
sold them and got three cents. I was doing very nicely 
when I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a voice, 
"You go home immediately." When I turned my head 
and looked up into his face, to my astonishment it was 
father. I could not understand why he did not want me 
to make money, but when we reached home, he told me, 
saying, "Albert, I have always kept you away from the 
bar room, where you would be compelled to hear bad lan- 

19 



20 god's guiding hand. 

guage and swearing and I do not want you to be among 
those bad boys to learn it now." 

Fathers, be careful about your boys; my prayer is 
that parents will protect their children from evil asso- 
ciates, for what a child learns in early life will follow 
him for years, even through manhood. While writing 
I can remember the first hymn I committed to memory 
when a boy between four and five years of age, a part of 
which reads as follows : 

"There is a green hill far away, 

Without a city wall, 
Where the dear Lord was crucified 

Who died to save us all." 

"He died that we might be forgiven, 

He died to make us good, 
That we might go at last to Heav'n, 

Saved by His precious blood." 

I am thankful to God that my parents were as care- 
ful with me as they were and that they impressed upon 
me this one fact that a good name could be easily lost, 
but it was hard to regain; that one who "steals a purse 
steals trash," but to steal a character steals all. 

One day I went fishing with a neighbor by the name 
of Little, in the St. Lawrence River; while fishing I was 



god's guiding hand. 21 

standing on a high rock, something quickly took my pole ; 
with a sudden jump to catch it I went headlong into 
twenty feet of water and could not swim a stroke, but my 
companion jumped in after me and kept me above water 
until help came, at the risk of his own life. When I was 
safe ashore, we began to search for my pole; found it; 
brought it to shore with a fine eel, weighing about four 
pounds. I have no use for that kind of fish since. 

I give God praise for protecting me from drowning 
and for his watchful eye over me from the beginning. 

From Kingston we moved North into the Muskoka 
district where there was no railroads and opened up an- 
other hotel. The trip to this place was an interesting one. 
We travelled by rail about two hundred miles; took the 
steamer for about twenty five miles; then the old stage. 
You, who have travelled the old stage roads for thirty or 
forty miles, will know how interesting it would be to a 
boy of my age. The road ran up hill and down, through 
swamps and streams with some parts of the road solid 
rock, now and then into a pitch hole. There being no 
room for me on the seat, I was placed on top of a trunk 
at the back. Father, a man full of fun was singing, "The 
Rocky Road to Dublin," when all at once I saw his heels 
up in the air and very soon he was lying on his face on 
the ground. It is needless to say he kept his seat after 
that, for he held on until we reached Huntsville. 



22 god's guiding hand. 

We settled down in this village and I was sent to the 
public school again; progressing with my studies I held 
my place with the rest in the class. Those were enjoyable 
days, for I knew not what care was. I am sorry to say I 
was mischievous which caused my teacher untold trouble, 
although I escaped punishment with the rod at school I 
did not escape the rod at home, for I was subject to a 
whipping almost every day and I must confess I deserved 
every one of them. While we lived in the hotel we had 
a large number of the traveling public come in for meals 
and more than once I would get into the pantry, take some 
pies and invite my boy friends to the woods to eat them, 
then when mother wanted them for supper some of them 
were missing. Did I not deserve punishment ? One time 
I remember I took some pies to the woods to eat with the 
boys. I heard mother calling me to come home. I an- 
swered but did not hurry for I knew I would get a whip- 
ping. So I put a thin board down my back and went 
home. One pie happened to be made of blueberries and 
the stains were on my mouth. 

When she saw me she said, "You have taken my pies." 
I looked perfectly innocent and was going to say some- 
thing when she saw the mark of the pie on my mouth, we 
cannot hide our sins for they will be sure to find us out. 
Wrong-doing will always leave a stain and that stain will 
leave its mark, as it did upon me. Of course mother got 



god's guiding hand. 23 

angry and so would any one who was troubled with the 
carnal nature if they did not have the blessing of perfect 
love. I got my just deserts that day. She cracked me 
over the back with the broom handle and it struck the 
board and bounced back and hit her. Sister thought I 
was hurt and she cried, then father interfered. I was a 
mean little fellow. I did something the next day and ex- 
pected my usual whipping but instead mother took me 
into a room and told me to sit down, she never raised a 
hand to me, but what she did do hurt me worse than all 
the whipping I ever got. Thank God for that afternoon 
and for the sensible step she took. 

She said to me in a calm, quiet way. "Albert, are you 
not ashamed of yourself? A big boy like you and you 
won't do what is right?" and while she talked she looked 
me straight in the face. Tears began to come. "Albert, 
I don't want to whip you, and I have given up doing it. 
Do you want to break my heart, and separate your father 
and I ? I cannot stand this any longer." Tears began to 
flow down my cheeks such as whipping never brought. 
They were tears of sorrow, for her words had touched my 
heart. Again she said, "would you treat your dead mother 
that way?" and added, "If you have no respect for me, 
have respect for your father." I promised I would do 



24 god's guiding hand. 

nothing to cause her to raise a hand to me again and she 
never had cause to whip me from that day, I was con- 
quered. I thank mother to-day for all the punishment 
she ever gave me and for the stick-to-itiveness she had. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE PROMISE I MADE TO MY MOTHER. 

In Huntsville my life was very different from the ear- 
lier part of my life. What I am about to tell I wish I could 
blot out of my remembrance but I cannot. I must record 
it, not for my own glory but for the glory of God. 

I lived in this place for some time, attended school and 
was not allowed inside of the bar room but had to keep 
in my parents' private room. One day father, not able to 
keep a bartender, requested that I should be placed be- 
hind the bar. It was at the age of eleven when my father 
came to me and said, "Albert, I want you to tend bar." 
O, I thought I had become a man at once, and how big I 
felt to think I was going to be a bartender, but I had not 
been there a minute when my mother said "Albert, I want 
you to come with me awhile." She took me into the same 
room where she gave me the quiet talk before, and shut 

25 



26 god's guiding hand. 

the door. I did not know what she was going to do with 
me at first ; but we had a nice conversation together. She 
said, "Albert, your father has put you behind the bar to 
deal out liquor to the men, but I won't let you tend bar 
an hour unless you promise me, you will not touch liquor 
until you are twenty one." To show my smartness as 
I thought, I said, "How can I tend bar and not touch 
liquor?" I knew what she meant, for she made it plain 
enough before she let me out of the room. "I mean Al- 
bert, not to drink it; you have been around the hotel 
enough to see what fools liquor makes of people," nam- 
ing a certain man who was a graduate of Oxford and 
Cambridge University of England ; a perfect gentleman 
when not under the influence of liquor but a disgrace to 
humanity when under its influence. I wanted to tend 
bar, I promised mother I would not touch liquor until 1 
was twenty one. 

Mothers have you ever asked your boys to make such 
a promise, if you have not, let your boys see that you are 
interested in them. Point out some man to them who 
has fallen through the curse or got into trouble by asso- 
ciating with evil companions. I will never forget her 
last words when I was stepping in behind the bar and 
stepped on the little platform, they built for me to stand 
upon. It was this, "Albert if you never take the first 
drink you will never be a drunkard." Boys remember 



god's guiding hand. 27 

that as coming from one who was in the business ; from 
one who has seen many fall by the way. Intemperance 
is a hard giant to fight and humanity cannot defeat him 
alone but like the large boa he coils and coils until he 
finally has you in his grasp. How thankful I am that I 
made that promise to mother for in after years it kept me 
from yielding when tempted by men old enough to be my 
father with these taunting remarks, "You are tied to your 
mother's apron strings." "You will never be a man until 
you drink." I was called "Baby," "Kid," and all such 
names. 

But boys, mother's promise came up before me time 
and time again. Without a doubt is was the protecting 
hand of God to keep me from going down to deeper 
depths of sin, as men have done who have come out of 
christian homes but He had a work for me, and He kept* 
me. Bless His name! Just before this I was taught in 
the catechism of the English Church and was to be con- 
firmed shortly after I had become a bartender. The 
Sunday came. Again, how big I felt ! What a beauti- 
ful service ! What sweet words I heard, and what sweet 
prayers ; but sweet as they were, they did not do me any 
good as I was not born again; for that very Sunday 
afternoon I received a correction from father, and the 
Bishop who confirmed me caused me to disobey God, by 
serving him with two bottles of Bass's Ale which of 



28 god's guiding hand. 

course father paid for. Oh for a confirmation service 
that will reach and change the heart and not your rela- 
tion to the church; that changes your .relation from a 
child of sin to a child of God, or from a child of dark- 
ness to a child of light. 



CHAPTER VI. 



MEETING THE LITTLE GIRL. AN ARGUMENT ON RELIGION. 

About this time another person, a young girl of my 
own age came into my life by asking me a question. I 
might say here that she was a Methodist minister's 
daughter, who had been lately stationed in our town by 
the Methodist church of Canada. 

The first time we met she was milking a cow and after 
receiving an introduction, the question of milk came up 
and in our conversation I said I liked fresh milk, with 
that, she turned and milked a fair splash of milk into my 
face. It is needless to say she did not finish milking the 
cow for that English nature of mine came up and there 
was a foot race, in which she was the first to get behind 
a closed door. Shortly after, a revival broke out and 
among the number converted was this young girl. The 
next morning she met the writer with this question, "Say, 



30 god's guiding hand. 

why do you not give your heart to Jesus." My reply 
was, "I have been confirmed and that saves me and will 
let me into heaven." 

That was what I had been taught. With a smile and 
a stamp of the foot she replied, "Albert, I know I am 
saved. I am converted and you do not know you are." 
Oh, what arguments we had on that line, but she got 
the best of it every time, for she could say "I know and 
you do not." Of course, I said that is the Methodist way 
of it but we Episcopalians do not see it that way. I will 
never forget that day that she looked me in the face and 
said, "I am going to pray for you." Dear one, how could 
I, as a boy have any confidence in a gospel preached by 
people who were forever praying, "Oh God, save our 
boys from the curse of strong drink" and then when they 
had a chance to blot it out by their votes, they did not ; but 
who worked as faithfully as my father did to elect the 
same man, in other words, you could not tell the steward's 
vote from my father's. 

Dear reader, I ask, is it expected that our Heavenly 
Father will do for us what we can do for ourselves? I 
say, No: but I am so glad that the dear Lord kept me, 
and I had too much respect for myself to do what some 
members of the churches would do, even if my church 
would allow me to sell liquor; but how they would talk 
about the writer on that account. Here is just a sample. 



god's guiding hand. 31 

One lady in the town, a member of this young lady's 
church, saw us talking one day, about salvation, and this 
woman being a daughter of old Mother Gossip went 
straight to the parsonage and there informed the preacher 
that their daughter Frankie was disgracing the cause of 
God by talking with that bartender. 

But that bartender had principle enough not to get 
liquor shipped in a soap box and have it labelled soap. 
This woman's husband was engaged in the general store 
business and used to have liquor shipped in as groceries, 
I knew the boxes and being full of mischief I opened a 
box one day, to show to some people what kind of soap 
they could get at the general store, run by a Methodist. 
Thank God they are not all like that. 

How careful some people are about other people but 
we need to look at home, cast the beam out of our own 
eye and bridle our tongues. Many things could be said 
on this line that have come under my own observation 
and perhaps I could have had a heart-felt experience be- 
fore I did, if it was not for professors of religion who 
stood in the way of sinners. My advice to all is not to 
look at false professors of to-day but get your eye on 
Christ and his true followers, for if there were not a 
genuine there would not be a counterfeit. If you notice 
there was one among the twelve disciples who betrayed 
Christ. 



32 god's guiding hand. 

I am so glad to know and say there are many true 
ones. As soon as I put the bottles and glasses on the 
counter I commenced to know something about the world 
and its evils. If the back doors of the hotels could only 
speak what tales they could tell on some church members 
but the doors do not speak therefore the Judgment day 
will, if they do not repent. I often wonder how some 
people are going to explain their actions with their testi- 
mony at that great day. Before going any further I 
wish to say that father strictly forbid us selling any 
liquor to anyone who was at all under the influence of 
liquor. If we did we would hear from him. 

No matter how respectful a place is run, the one who 
has to stand behind a bar is compelled to hear things 
which would almost make his blood run cold and that by 
men who are respected in the town or community, in 
which he lives; in plans that are laid and the plans that 
are carried out. If the reader is a young man let me ask 
you not to associate with the young man who touches the 
intoxicating cup or mingles with worldly associates, for 
sooner or later they will bring you to their level. You 
cannot pull through in your own strength. Drunkenness 
is a sin and a shame. There is no position or talent that 
can withstand its humiliation. The community where it 
is sold is brought into reproach for with it goes every 



god's guiding hand. 33 

known sin, because intemperance cuts down youth and 
manhood in its strength. 

It breaks the father's heart, bereaves the loving mother, 
extinguishes natural affections, separates husbands and 
wives, blights parental hope, and brings down age in 
sorrow to the grave. It produces weakness, not strength ; 
sickness, not health; death, not life. It makes wives, 
widows ; children, orphans ; and a many of them paupers. 
It curses the land with idleness, misery, and crime. 

It fills our penitentiaries, and jails, makes necessary our 
asylums and furnishes victims for our scaffolds. Yes, 
it brings shame not honor, despair not hope, misery not 
happiness, nor is that all. It murders the soul. It is the 
Devil's best friend and an enemy to man and God. Again, 
it is no recommendation to a man seeking employment 
to say he drinks, even if he takes a social glass, be he ever 
so moderate in his drinking. Employers are not seeking 
such to manage their business. Even saloon keepers are 
asking for sober men to look after their interests ; neither 
is it becoming to a practicing physician or fitting to a 
preacher or to one in any other occupation. 

A lady came to me not long ago requesting me to 
talk to her son about strong drink for he had come home 
sick from drinking. She said, "If his father should find 
it out, he would nearly kill him." How inconsistent, after 
setting the boy the example, while indulging in wine sip- 



34 god's guiding hand. 

ping at the table, they had given it to the boy when a child, 
but now it has got the best of their son and their cry 
is, "what shall we do ? Our only son is a drunkard." 

We see men and women professing to be Christians, 
with their sideboards and tables adorned with wine 
glasses and decanters, indulging in drink ; drinking mod- 
erately they say ; thinking nothing of the weaker brother 
and sister, but selfishly encouraging them to do as they 
are doing or as they have done, asking the question to 
ease their conscience toward God, "Am I my brother's 
keeper?" 

Drunkenness cannot compete with morality and mor- 
ality is not salvation. 

The drunkard is a sinner and will have his portion 
with the unbelievers, God cannot look upon sin be it great 
or small or even at all. (i Cor. 6:9.) We find in the 
Bible, "Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters 
nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves 
with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, 
nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom 
of God." (Gal 5: 21.) Paul still further says, "Envy- 
ings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like : of 
the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in 
time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit 
the Kingdom of God." Then if it is a sin for those that 
drink, it is for those that manufacture it and those that 



god's guiding hand. 35 

sell it; whether it be in a saloon, livery barn, grocery store 
or drug store. 

God says "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor 
drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him 
drunken." (Habakkuk 2:15.) The social glass causeth 
the weaker to stumble and fall. "It is good neither to eat 
flesh nor drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother 
stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." (Rom 14: 

21). 

There is no encouragement given to the moderate 
drinker of to-day and God knows no difference between 
the moderate and the immoderate unless he repents and 
is born again. Would space permit I could give you 
many examples of precious young people who have been 
led from the paths of righteous to the paths of sin by 
ungodly companionship. Stay away from such! Boys 
and girls who have praying mothers have been enticed 
into those places with the invitation, "Come and have a 
lemonade." One thing brings on another and after a 
while they begin to laugh at him and call him names be- 
cause he won't drink and so, not to be laughed at he takes 
a small drink and then they have him, "Now take an- 
other or we will tell" and so down he goes to his ruin. 

How I wish I could blot out of my remembrance 
cases of this kind, who are to-day of no good to man or 
any one else. I pray my Heavenly Father to give me 



36 god's guiding hand. 

health and strength to warn young men and women to 
leave sin and let Jesus come into their hearts, for he is 
able to keep us in the hour of temptation and bring us 
off more than conqueror. Bless his name forever ! The 
first year I tended bar I was invited to give a recitation 
at a concert. The title of the recitation is The Two 
Glasses. 

"There sat two glasses filled to the brim, 

On a rich man's table rim to rim ; 

One was ruddy and red as blood, 

The other was as clear as the crystal flood. 

Said the water glass to his paler brother, 

'Let us tell the tales of the past to each other ; 

I can tell of banquets of revel and mirth, 

And the proudest and grandest soul on earth ; 

Fell under my touch as though struck by blight, 

For where I was king, I ruled in might, 

From the head of kings I've torn the crown, 

From the height of fame I've hurled men down, 

I've tempted the youth with a sip, a taste, 

I've made his future a barren waste, 

Far greater than any king am I, 

Or any army beneath the sky. 

I've made the arm of the driver fail, 

I've sent the train from the iron rail, 

I've made good ships go down at sea, 

And the shrieks of the lost were sweet to me. 

For they said behold, how great you be, 



god's guiding hand. 37 

Fame, wealth, strength, genius before you fall, 
For your might and power are over all. 
Oh, oh, pale prother,' laughed the wine 
'Can you boast of deeds as grand as mine.' 
Said the water glass, 'I cannot boast of a king de- 
throned or a murdered host, 
But I can tell of hearts once sad, 
By my crystal drops made light and glad, 
Of hands I've cooled and souls I've saved, 
I've slept in the sunshine and dropped from the sky; 
I've watered the landscape, and pleased the eye. 
I've eased the hot forehead of fever and pain, 
I've made yon parched meadows grow fertile with 

grain. 
I can tell of the powerful wheel of the mill, 
That ground out the flour and turned at my will. 
I can tell of manhood debased by you, 
That I have lifted and crowned anew ; 
I cheer, I help, I strengthen, I aid, 
I gladden the hearts of man and maid.' 
These are the tales they told each other 
The glass of wine and his paler brother 
As they sat together filled to the brim 
On a rich man's table rim to rim." 



From this time on, I was invited to take part in many 
entertainments because they thought it strange that a 
bartender should recite such a piece. Well reader what 
is in the heart will come out. I decided not to take part in 



38 god's guiding hand. 

any other but did, which I will mention later on and tell 
how the Lord gave me a recitation while behind the bar. 

I had some very pleasant days in my youth. Father 
permitted me to have what I wanted, to make life happy 
as far as the world was concerned, but, yet there was a 
something that my heart longed for, which the pleasure 
of this world could not satisfy. It was hard to get away 
from the prayers and testimony of that little girl, who said, 
"I know that Jesus saved me, do you." It kept ringing 
in my ears, and prayers do reach the heart in one way 
or the other. Another scene came into my life which 
again left a lasting impression. It was the death of a 
baby. A new settler drove into town with a team, wife 
and baby and came to our place. 

As soon as the woman came in the house she asked 
for mother because her child was sick. When my mother 
saw the condition of the child she hurried me off for the 
doctor. He came and said it was impossible for the child 
to live. I then heard the heart cry of a mother's love, 
crying, "how can I give my baby, how can I spare it." 
This mother's heart was not anchored in the love of God. 
Her baby was her idol. God has said, "Thou shalt have no 
other Gods before me." It was in the room where the 
child's spirit departed that I promised my mother I would 
not drink until I was twenty one. This woman murmered 
against God for a while but one day she heard of the 



god's guiding hand. 39 

love of Jesus and accepted him as her Saviour. She re- 
turned to the place where the baby was buried and told us 
that all things worked together for good to them that 
love the Lord, for God had taken her baby from this 
world of sin and sorrow, and that she was ready to go 
where her baby was. Her life now was a continual 
praise unto God. 

I saw that God had converted her and there was a 
wonderful change in her life and if anything can lift 
trouble from a heart it is the love of Jesus. 

In this scene Jesus again spoke to me but I could not 
understand it ; for I was attending church every Sunday, 
teaching a Sunday-school class, taking communion every 
month and was taught that the only way that I could ever 
live was to live in sin. I read the following prayer every 
Sunday with the congregation. 

Almighty and most merciful Fatner; We have erred, 
and strayed from the ways like lost sheep. We have fol- 
lowed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. 
We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left 
undone those things which we ought to have done ; And 
we have done those things which we ought not to have 
done ; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, 
have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou 
them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou 
them that are penitent; According to thy promises de- 



40 god's guiding hand. 

clared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, 
O most merciful Father ; for his sake ; That we may here- 
after live a godly, righteous, and sober life. To the glory 
of thy holy Name. Amen. 

I did not know that men and women could really have 
the witness of sins forgiven in this present world but yet 
a part of the prayer if answered, would surprise those 
that pray it or read it. 



CHAPTER VII. 



MY SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WHILE A BARTENDER. 

One day on hearing the language and filthy stories 
and jesting of professed Christians on street corners who 
were respected as being the best of the town, I became 
disgusted, and went to my pastor and told him that I did 
not think I was right in selling liquor. He said, that, if 
I did not sell it some one else would and people will have 
it, and, I might as well have the money as any one. What 
teaching! still the same teaching is existing to-day and 
being taught. To ease my troubled heart the pastor 
said, "Bertie, you want to do something for Jesus. Come 
and teach a Sunday school class. We will make one for 
you." My class was made up of two small boys about 
five years of age and what to teach them, I did not know, 
as we did not have the lesson leaflets that the teachers 
have to-day. So I told them some nice little stories. One 

41 



42 god's guiding hand. 

of these stories was aoout my little brother's death. They 
cried, and I thought I made a success of teaching. So 
I continued. 

In order to increase my class, I would ofifer a prize 
of some nice book every month and part of the Sunday 
school hour I would read a few chapters in the most 
interesting part of the book and in that way I increased 
my class to twenty-one in number. I always had a full 
class and the superintendent said I was a successful 
teacher and it was a good way to build up a class. But 
reader there was not much spiritual food for the soul. 
Think of it, a bartender and a Sunday school teacher! 
Oh, what lost opportunities to impress young hearts with 
the love of Jesus, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of 
gold in pictures of silver, So is a wise reprover upon an 
obedient ear." (Prov. 25: 11, 12). And a word spoken 
in due season would have been the means of my soul 
being saved long before it was. How I could have taught 
my class the way of salvation. Teachers get salvation 
and teach it so as not to lose the golden opportunity. 

We know not how many missionaries and preachers 
would come out of a band of twenty boys ranging in 
age from five to twelve. There is to-day a preacher of 
the gospel out of that bunch of boys. I shall speak of 
him later on. He gave me a harder blow than any 
preacher of the gospel to awaken me to see my lost con- 



god's guiding hand. 43 

dition. The young girl spoken of previously, who said 
that she knew she was saved, moved away from our town 
with her family and the morning she left she said, "Good- 
bye," adding these words, "Be a good boy, for I shall 
still pray for you." Language cannot describe how those 
words touched me. Just as if I was not able to read my 
own prayers out of my prayer book ! But reading is not 
praying I found that out. About the time the praying 
Methodist left, I thought I would have a little rest, but 
the Salvation Army came to town and they brought out 
their drums, and marched the streets with their "Sun 
bonnets," as I called them. 

Every Sunday they would come in front of our hotel 
to sing, pray and testify. I laughed many times at them 
but I can say, Lord give us more such christians who are 
willing to leave the cushioned pew and obey the com- 
mand as given in the Word. "Go ye out into the highways 
and byways and compel them to come in." I used to 
think that any one who said Amen, in any other place ex- 
cept in their prayers was crazy and they were very fond 
of saying, Amen. They would frequently pray for my 
father and I would laugh and say, "Ha ha ! old man ! They 
are after you." But one day they got after me. The old 
officers were removed and new ones came. The first 



44 god's guiding hand. 

Sunday they were in the town they came up as usual and 
took their place in front of our hotel. After singing, 

"Oh, the waters of Jordan may roll, 
But Jesus will carry me through ; 
His peace is now filling my soul 
Oh, that it were given to you." 



They knelt down and one after another prayed. Ensign 
Scott began to pray. "O, Lord we have no doubt but 
what the old officers have prayed for the hotel keeper, but 
we understand he has a precious boy, Lord save him and 
take him out of this awful business." If you ever saw a 
whipped boy you should have seen me. I went into the 
house without a word. But God was striving with me. 
And he knows how to work and touch the human heart 
through the words of others. 

I could not get away from that prayer and the pray- 
ers of others, but I tried to work conviction of! by lesort- 
ing to some of the mean tricks of this world. For instance, 
one night I gave a young man 50 cents to cut the old drum 
head in, no one found out who did it. 

So it encouraged me to go on again. The next time I 
gave two boys a quarter of a dollar apiece to smash the 
army bonnets and they did considerable damage to them. 
I was afraid that thev would have the bovs arrested. So 



god's guiding hand. 45 

the next morning as I went into our garden I called to the 
officers who lived in a house nearby. They came out and 
I gave them a bunch of lettuce and radishes then said I, 
"It's a shame the way those boys treated you last night. 
How much does a new bonnet cost?" They told me 
$2.50 each, I handed them a five dollar bill and told them 
to say nothing about it; also not to arrest the boys, for 1 
did not want any person to find out I was the fellow at 
the bottom of it. 

I would go to their meetings and hang my head 
while in prayer just to get them to come and talk to me. 
Then in reply I would make fun and tell them I was con- 
firmed. I did not do it because I wanted to, but I did it 
to fight off conviction. But prayer will be answered some 
way and in some place, for God has said "Ask and ye 
shall receive." His promises are true. Bless his name. 
This battle went on in my soul for some time. 

Reading my prayers did not satisfy me. Time and 
time again, I would go to the Methodist church to hear 
men and women tell the story of Jesus and his love, who, 
I knew where living good Christian lives. They had a 
different ring to their testimony to what the false pro- 
fessor had, and the shine upon their faces convinced me 
that God did save. One night I remember well, I went 
to church with two young ladies, who were interested in 



46 god's guiding hand. 

my soul and one asked for that old hymn, "Bringing In 
The Sheaves." 

'While singing, they said to me, you are one of the 
sheaves. I did not understand but I am glad I came to 
God before I was called home and now the Lord is help- 
ing me to bring in the sheaves. Oh, what a harvest that 
will be on that great day ! 

While I was teaching my Sunday school class, I was 
also engaged in something else that I do not think any 
church member, let alone a Christian, should be engaged 
in, and that is racing for money. 

In Canada they keep the 1st of July as their National 
holiday which is devoted to sports. Among the sports, 
of that day, was foot racing. I enjoyed running those 
races because I always won the prize, and received money 
on side bets, but what impressed me the most, is how, we, 
in a race of the world, will lay off everything or the in- 
cumbrances which hinder us from doing our best. When 
I entered a race everything I could possible lay off I did. 
And more than that I used to weight each ankle with a 
pound of shot for a week or two before the race, in order 
that I might feel the lighter and then at the beginning of 
the race I would take off the weights, begin to run, and 
keep my eye on the goal or prize. 

The world to-day is not laying aside the things which 
hinder them in running the race of salvation, but before 



god's guiding hand. 47 

they will be successful they will have to obey the com- 
mand as found in Heb. 12 : 1, "Let us lay aside every 
weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let 
us run with patience the race that is set before us, look- 
ing unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." - The 
footracing ceased when I was converted although I had a 
desire to do it. I said it won't do for a Christian, but, bless 
the Lord he can even take the desire out. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE EFFECTS OF DRINK OR SCENES BEHIND THE BAR. 

One thing which I have noticed while behind the bar 
is that the young men do not become drunkards all at 
once, nor do they take more than one drink at first. 
I have also noticed that if ungodly companions can get 
the young man started to smoke or chew they generally 
say "We have got him," for quite frequently the three go 
together. From the first drink, companions will say, 
"You took a drink before, why not now." Then the tes- 
timony of so many is that the enemy of your soul will 
say, one drink did no harm, two won't and so on the 
young man is led captive at the enemy's will until he be r 
comes an habitual drinker. I have seen the finest speci- 
mens of young manhood take the first drink that way 
and go down to ruin in order for the young man to be 
brave or show bravery. O what knowledge can be de- 

48 



god's guiding hand. 49 

stroyed by that curse. In my town a man educated in the 
best schools of England was so addicted to its use that 
he had spent two fortunes and his relatives had to send 
him to Canada to hide his disgrace. 

This man could speak four different languages and 
write them fluently but had lost the respect of everyone 
on account of drink. He had become such a slave to 
it that his brother served us a notice not to sell him any 
more drink. So we refused in order to keep our license. 
Unlike the United States every person cannot get a 
license in Canada. One morning he came to me and said 
he must have a drink. My reply was "No sir." I was 
busy washing the glasses getting ready for the day's busi- 
ness and having one upon which the foam had hardened 
I filled it with dirty water in which I had washed others. 
To have it out of the way while soaking, I had placed 
it on the counter. When I refused to give him drink he 
picked up the glass when my back was turned and in- 
stantly drank it down saying "O, how good." I was 
compelled to order him out of the house. Afterwards 
he was converted in the Salvation Army and lived a sober 
life as long as I knew him. The night he was converted 
he was about to commit suicide and the morning after 
he came up and said "Albert, I don't want any drink but 
I've come to tell you, that Jesus saves me." 



50 cod's guiding hand. 

Drink is no respecter of persons but ruins all classes. 
The boy in my class that I promised to speak about later, 
was a relative of this man. He was a manly little fellow 
and took delight in bringing new scholars, and often 
took home the monthly prize for regular attendance and 
good behavior. He always called me teacher wherever 
he met me. One Sunday at the opening of the schools he 
was not in his accustomed place but came in late and as 
he entered the class said, "Teacher may I speak to you?" 
I replied "What is it?" "I don't want them to hear it." 
So I walked over to the corner of the building with him. 
Then the little fellow said, "If you please teacher, don't 
sell papa any more drink for he came home last night, 
put mamma and us children out and would not let us go 
back." 

What could I say ! The voters made it a lawful busi- 
ness ; the government took the license money and I obeyed 
father in selling it. What a sermon the little fellow 
preached. It was God speaking to show me what I was 
doing. Praise God for the sermon without a text. 

Shortly afterwards I was invited to take part in a 
concert at a Methodist church and promised to do so, 
providing they would not use my name, having com- 



god's guiding hand. 51 

posed the poem which I used behind the bar. It reads 
as follows : 



Ladies and gentlemen : Just look at me now, 

And ask yourselves the question how 

I came so low as to look so tough, 

And say to yourselves there's been whiskey enough 

Now boys and girls take my advice, 

And before you take a sip think twice ; 

For at a sip you start, then you commenced to sink, 

Down to the ranks of a drunken sot, 

Oh, had I the power to touch it not, 

But No, I must my throat is burning, 

Take a drink to stop its yearning; 

O well do I remember the first glass that I took 

And when I told my mother, O can I forget that look ! 

She asked me then to promise that I would never touch 

The cursed stuff again which I though was not much. 

But that night I got in company and before I got away 

A pack of cards they did show up and I commenced to 

play 
The game got most exciting and I commenced to drink 
When all at once, I did turn around for thus I had to 

think 
Of my poor mother at my home and my dear sister too 
When all at once I did exclaim "O, boys what can I do?" 
They told me to get home and not say very much 



52 god's guiding hand. 

For if I did they'd have me soon in that policeman's 

clutch 
I asked them if I could stay in the hotel that night 
But as my money was all gone, they kicked me out for 

spite 
I fell unto the sidewalk and cursed with all my might 
Just then a policeman took me and said to them all right 
I fought him like a hero until he knocked me down 
And when I came to myself what did I see around 
Why all the doors and windows with iron bars were 

bound 
Just then they ordered me before the magistrate 
And swore that I the night before was in a drunken state 
I told the cause, the drink, the cards, and evil associates 
He looked with pity but said without a smile 
Five dollars and costs or stay in jail awhile, 
I had no money but a dear friend was there, 
He was a young man who believed in prayer. 
He paid the fine that set me free 
And took me home to mother who said my boy I see 
You have not kept the promise you made so bold to me. 
I then renewed that promise upon my bended knee 
And asked the Saviour's blessing throughout eternity 
So now I am going to trust him to keep me in the right 
And keep me away from whiskey when I go out at night 
Young men just take a lesson from one who had a fall 
And give your heart to Jesus whenever the Spirit calls. 



god's guiding hand. 53 

Another young man who was near thirty years of age 
made this statement one day, when told by the writer to 
keep from drink "I am not afraid of God nor man." 
When told he would have to die and meet God he replied 
that he was not afraid of death, but on his deathbed he 
cried out these words, "For God's sake Jacobs don't let 
them take me," but no man could stay the hand of death 
and while men held him he passed into eternity saying 
"My God they have got me, They have got me." 

I thank God we can get to a place spiritually where we 
can say with one of old, "Oh, death where is thy sting 
oh grave where is thy victory." And many are ready to 
say, "Welcome life, welcome death," because death would 
be a quick transfer from earth to a heaven of rest. I 
could tell of many more instances but I do not wish to 
dwell too much on the sad things of life. 



CHAPTER IX. 

MY CONVERSION AND FIRST PRAYER ANSWERED. 

I would like to tell the reader of this little book about 
the good things of God. 

While tending bar it was part of my lot to help take 
care of father who took sick with inflammatory rheum- 
atism and hour after hour I was required to rub his limbs. 
He tried almost every remedy that he knew money could 
buy. So he frequently took trips to different parts of 
this country for his health and the business would be left 
for mother and I to look after. When I was about nine- 
teen years of age, mother and father started for the 
mineral springs and just before leaving she said to me, 
"Albert, take care of the business. Be a good boy and I 
will bring you a present when I come back. What would 
you like me to bring?" I could have asked for a gold 
watch or something else more valuable but I said "Mother 

54 



god's guiding hand. 55 

bring me a Bible." Again prayer was heard and an- 
swered. "God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to 
perform, he plants his footsteps on the sea, he rides upon 
the storm." I would quite frequently read the Bible to 
get some story for my Sunday school class and time and 
time again I have been compelled to lay the Bible aside 
to wait on customers. I thought nothing more about my 
Bible or the present I expected to get until the day they 
returned. Father was no better. 

Shortly after they came into the house, mother opened 
her trunk, then came to me behind the bar and said, "Al- 
bert, here is your Bible, I had your name stamped on it." 
Of course I took it and placed it on the counter and began 
to read, when four customers came in. I remember their 
order : One brandy, one Holland gin and two glasses of 
beer. As soon as I waited on them, I opened my Bible 
and commenced to read the third chapter of St. John. I 
read and heard it read time and time again, about being 
born again, but I had been taught that when I was con- 
firmed it was the same as being born again, but being 
taught and having the knowledge that I was born again 
are two different things. 

The reading had no impression upon me until I read 
sixteenth verse, "For God so loved the world that he gave 
his only begotten Son that whosoever believed on Him 
should not perish but have everlasting life." When I 



56 god's guiding hand. 

read the word to "perish," something pierced my heart 
and went through me from head to foot. If someone had 
shot me at that moment, it could not have hurt me any 
more. I knew what it meant to perish or be lost for I 
knew of some people who had been lost. 

I picked my Bible up and ran down the street with my 
bartender's apron on to my pastor, the Episcopal preacher 
to ask him what it meant and instead of pointing my 
finger to the word perish, I pointed to "whosoever" and 
he said that means you Bertie. O that made it harder 
and I started back; but, like Saul of Tarsus, I heard a 
voice, yet saw no one, saying to me. If you believe it, 
you cannot sell liquor any more." I replied "Lord I will 
believe" and I have never sold liquor since. To God be 
all the glory! When I entered the house I told father I 
could not sell liquor any more. He said "What has come 
over you. Have you gone crazy ?" 

"Yes father, if you may call it so for I read in the 
fourteenth of John. "Let not your heart be troubled, ye 
believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house 
are many mansions if it were not so, I would have told 
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and 
prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive 
you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye may be also,' 
and I am willing to be crazy in the eyes of the world but 
I am going to serve Jesus, and I am willing to be a 



god's guiding hand. 57 

hostler in the stable." I took off my white shirt and white 
apron and put on the overalls and then started to the 
barn. Father said he would give me two days to hold out. 

I paid off the hostler and let him go, closed the doors 
and dropped on my knees, and here I offered my first 
prayer. I had been reading prayers before, out of the 
prayer book for years and yet did not know the true 
meaning of prayer until that morning when I knelt down 
in one of the stalls and sent my petition up to the throne 
of grace. This was the first prayer my poor heart had 
ever uttered. It was short, but how much it meant. It 
was "Lord save father and take him out of the business" 
and that prayer was answered. In a few months after 
this prayer was offered father told me, if I did not come 
back and look after the business, he would have to sell 
out. I said "Glory to God, that is my prayer," and he did 
sell out the business, but he was not yet saved'. We then 
moved to the city of Toronto, and father took down sick. 
It was my privilege to nurse and take care of him, and 
be at his bedside, when he passed from earth, into the 
other world. His last words were, "My God, My Father 
while I stray far from my home on life's rough way ; Thy 
will be done." This was part of his favorite hymn in the 
English Church Hymn Book. 

I am thankful to tell you dear reader my first prayer 
was answered, father went out of the business and died 



58 god's guiding hand. 

a happy man in the Lord. As I told you before, for 
years and years he was a church warden of the English 
Church and lived up to its teachings. He also kept the 
law and would not do anything contrary to the law. The 
nation made the liquor traffic, which he was engaged in, 
a lawful business. Preachers and church people voted 
alongside his vote, for the same man, that granted the 
license. He was told by his pastor it was all right as 
long as he lived up to the law and paid his license. If 
he did not sell liquor some one else would. So he was 
allowed by his church to sell liquor. How churches can 
see a commission in the word of God to do such things 
I cannot see unless it is that class which Jesus speaks 
of in Luke 6:39: "Can the blind lead the blind? shall 
they not both fall into the ditch?" My father had a 'kind 
heart and would share his last loaf of bread or the last 
dollar with any person that would be in need. He would 
relieve the suffering when called upon and to-day you 
can hear his name spoken well of, by the people of the 
town, for his charity and kindness among the poor. He 
also reverenced the House of God and did all that laid in 
his power for the church, but his works did not save 
him. 

A large number of people of to-day are depending 
upon their loyalty to the church, c'hurchmembership, and 
their works to get them into heaven, who do not know 



god's guiding hand. 59 

anything about being born again or the birth of the 
Spirit, and they ask the same question that Nicodemus 
asked Jesus, "How can a man be born when he is old." 
Jesus answered, "Except a man be born again he cannot 
see the kingdom of God". (John 3:3). "Except your 
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the 
Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the 
kingdom of Heaven." (Matt. 5:20). You may be up- 
right, moral, sincere respectable and religious and be lost. 
Your salvation or damnation depends on your believing 
or not believing on Christ. "He that believeth not is 
condemned already because he hath not believed in the 
name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 2: 18). 
Reader, at this very moment, if unsaved, you are "con- 
demned already," not because you are a greater sinner 
than others, but because you have not believed on the Lord 
Jesus. If you truly believed on Him as your own present 
and personal Saviour you would be a new creature, God 
would be your Father, Christ your Saviour, and heaven 
your home. Your experience would be in these words : 
"Old things are passed away; behold all things are be- 
come new." (2 Cor. 5: 17). If you have not become 
a new creature, you are still an unbeliever with the wrath 
of God abiding on you. "He that believeth on the Son 
hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son 
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." 



60 god's guiding hand. 

(John 3:36). 'Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the 
Christ is born of God." (John 5:1). 

Again, you may think that you are safe for eternity 
and yet be on the broad road that terminates in the abyss 
of despair. Have you taken time to get alone with God, 
and ascertain where you are spiritually in his sight. If 
not, do so at once. "There is a way that seemeth right 
unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death." 
(Prov. 14: 12). A young girl when asked by a brother 
in a meeting this question: "Are you saved?" answered, 
"I am a church member." "But dear friend," says the 
young man, "Has the blood of Christ been applied to 
your heart? does the Spirit of Christ bear witness with 
your spirit, that you are born again? In Rom. 8 : 14, 16 
it says, 'For as many as are led by the spirit of God they 
are the sons of God. The spirit itself beareth witness 
with our spirit, that we are the children of God." She 
got very angry and said, "You insult me, sir ! Why bother 
me? I tell you, sir, I am a church member, a Sunday- 
school teacher, I go to prayer meeting and class meeting, 
I belong to the Epworth league and attend the church 
service at every opportunity, and I beg you never to speak 
to me again, sir." "Well, Sister," said the young man, 
"I am sorry, but if you have not been born again, you 
will in no wise enter the kingdom of Heaven, and if the 
blood has not been applied to your soul, you are on the 



god's guiding hand. 61 

wrong way, your works will not save you, but you are 
on the way that leads unto everlasting death and utter 
despair, and eventually will you land in a place where 
there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where the worm 
dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." 

He left her with these words — to think. In six months 
after this young man was holding a meeting several miles 
away from this place. While he was walking up the 
street one day, a young lady came towards him, with a 
smiling face, as if she was a Christian. She stopped him 
and said, "Do you remember me?" The young man an- 
swered, "You have the advantage of me." She replied, 
"Do you not remember the lady you talked to about her 
soul, and informed her, she was on the wrong way ; that 
her works would not save her. It started me to thinking 
about the two ways. I thought perhaps after all, I was 
on the wrong way. I fell on my knees, cried out to God 
to have mercy on me. God heard and answered my 
prayer ; gave me the witness of the Spirit that I was his 
accepted child, that my name was written in heaven. 
I know now, I am on the right road. The blood of Jesus 
Christ cleanseth me from all sin." 

After I was converted I remained some time in the 
Episcopal Church. I remember well the first Methodist 
prayer meeting I attended after I knew my sins were for- 
given. I had a desire to pray during the season of 



62 god's guiding hand. 

prayer, but did not consider I had a right to, because 
it was not my church. So I asked the lady sitting be- 
side me if I might pray. "Yes," was her reply. I prayed 
and the Lord blessed my soul. They then had a few 
testimonies. I could hardly keep from speaking a word. 
So I asked the lady if I might testify. She gave me this 
reply: "They overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, 
and by the word of their testimony." I testified. 



CHAPTER X. 



PRAYER. 



Shortly after this I returned to Toronto, where wc 
were living, and took my accustomed place in the robed 
choir of our church. Immediately after our services 
were over, I would throw off my cassock and surplice, 
hurry to the Wesley Methodist Church, in order to get 
into the class-room to hear the testimonies of regener- 
ated and sanctified men and women. 

It was encouraging to me to hear them praising God 
for victories won, while others told of their trials and 
temptations. We had no class-meetings in our church; 
in fact they are not acquainted with such meetings, but 
I longed to tell what Jesus had done for me. Bless 
His name forever. The Lord says in Isaiah, "Ye are my 
witnesses." To hear what the Lord was doing for others 
satisfied my longing heart and brought comfort and con- 

63 



64 god's guiding hand. 

solation to my soul. It is true, we had our prayers to 
read in the prayer book. They were good, but many 
persons read them without knowing the meaning of the 
words. I do not believe that reading out of a book is 
prayer, but I do believe that prayer is the sincere desire 
of the heart made known unto God, and is not merely 
asking of God, but asking with the expectation of receiv- 
ing from Him. It is our privilege to receive as well as 
to ask. Many go down on their faces before God and 
plead long, seemingly in earnest for something from 
Him, but go away disappointed because they do not re- 
ceive. The fault is with themselves, not with God, for 
they ask amiss, not believing their prayers will be an- 
swered; something like the old lady who asked for the 
mountain to be removed from her front door, and then 
retired. But when she awoke in the morning she looked 
out the door and said : "There it is, just as I expected." 

It is written, "Ask and it shall be given you;" again, 
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, be- 
lieving, ye shall receive." But you must ask, believ- 
ing and expectantly, then He will hear prayer and do for 
you, "exceeding abundantly abov all that we can ask or 
think," for he is able. "The effectual fervent prayer of 
a righteous man availeth much." I thank God I have 
found the secret. 



god's guiding hand. 65 

Testimonies can be rejected; their influence rendered 
ineffective, and Christian reputation slandered, but no 
power can hinder prayer. Hannah prays and Samuel 
is born. Elijah prays, and the fire of the Lord fell 
and consumed the burnt sacrifice. He. prayed that 
it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for the 
space of three years and six months; he prayed again, 
and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth 
her fruit. The church prayed and the Lord sent His 
angel, delivered Peter out of prison, out of Herod's 
hands, and from all the expectations of the Jews. Dan- 
iel prayed, dreams were revealed, and the mouths of 
lions were stopped. Solomon prays and receives wis- 
dom to govern Israel. Joshua prays and discovers 
Achan's sin, in taking Babylonish garment and the 
golden wedge. Paul and Silas prayed at midnight, and 
sang songs of praises unto God, suddenly the earth 
quaked, prisoners were loosed, the doors were opened, 
and the jailer with all his house was converted. Prayer 
saved the dying thief on the Cross. Prayer brought 
about the day of Pentecost, and Christ taught His dis- 
ciples how to pray. Oh, it is prayer that moves God. 
It is in the closet, hidden away with God that plans are 
revealed, God's purposes made known, and the soul re- 



66 god's guiding hand. 

freshed. It opens God's word and illuminates its sacred 
pages by the power of the Holy Ghost. 

"Trials and temptations will come, difficulties will 
surround our pathway, but prayer will make all these 
things further our progress in the Christian life. Bless 
the Lord. 



CHAPTER XI. 



DISPUTES ON SANCTIFICATION. 



It was in the Methodist church that my attention 
was first attracted to the second blessing or entire sanc- 
tification. I remember when a man by the name of 
French stood up and thanked God that the blood of Jesus 
Christ, His Son, cleanseth from all sin, that the Lord had 
kept him from all sin for the past week. I said, "Oh, 
my, we all sin." I made the mistake that thousands of 
others are doing to-day. I did not wait for him to 
explain or even ask him to do so, but went home, took 
my Bible down and commenced to search for the differ- 
ent passages of Scripture that referred to sin. I was 
exceeding glad when I found (i John 1:8): "If we 
say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the 
truth is not in us," and (i John 1 : 10) "If we say that 
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word 
is not in us." 

67 



68 god's guiding hand. 

Of course I thought this was right, for up to this 
time I was familiar with that prayer in the prayer book 
where it says, "Forgive us for the things which we have 
this day left undone, that we ought to have done, and 
the things which we have done that we ought not to 
have done." 

I returned the next Sunday and fired what I thought 
was a shell into the class, by repeating the above Scrip- 
ture, which I had found, but I felt mean when an aged 
brother answered me in this manner: "My young 
brother do not pick the Bible to pieces but take it as it 
is, and repeat the ninth verse of the same chapter. 'Tf 
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive 
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,' " 
and added, "Brother, if you are cleansed from all sin, 
how much have you left." I was ashamed to answer, 
but I did not give up. 

So I continued searching my Bible for Scripture 
verses which I understood would give us permission to 
sin; but. O, how blind I was after reading where the 
angel said to Joseph, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus; 
for He shall save His people from their sins," not in their 
sins. 

Again I found ( i Kings 8 : 46) : "For there is no 
man that sinneth not." I felt sure the old brother could 
not get around that verse, but he sweetly and calmly 



god's guiding hand. 69 

took me to one side. After a little conversation with him 
I answered, "Why, brother, you won't be convinced." 
Again his personal testimony defeated me when he said, 
'The blood cleanseth me just now." This was in the 
year 1892. Some time afterward I began to search my 
Bible again and, O, what rocks I ran against. In read- 
ing (Romans 8: 1) I found, "There is therefore now no 
condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk 
not after the flesh but after the Spirit." I knew sin 
brought condemnation, and gave in when I read ( 1 John 
3:8, 9) : "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for 
the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose 
the Son of God was manifest, that He might destroy the 
works of the devil." Again, "Whosoever is born of 
God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him : 
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." I was 
defeated by my own Bible. 

So I remained away instead of continuing and learn- 
ing that by an entire consecration I could have the in- 
herited or inbred sin destroyed, for that was the thing 
that puzzled me. I had an English temper to contend 
with, although I could keep it down or suppress it the 
most of the time, still it would get the best of me at 
times, and gave me untold trouble. 



CHAPTER XII. 



MARRIAGE. 



After accepting the Lord as my personal Savior, 
I took a course in the business college in Toronto. After 
completing my course of study, I began to look around 
for some employment, and decided to try clerking in a 
clothing store. I was making good progress at the busi- 
ness when I was taken sick with typhoid fever and lay 
sick for about twenty days, hovering between life and 
death, but with careful nursing and good medical aid I 
was again restored to health. 

A friend of mine visited me after I recovered and 
suggested that I enter the real estate business with him ; 
we went into partnership. Two ladies came to the 
office one day looking for a house to rent. In conversa- 
tion, the town of Huntsville was mentioned. The 
younger lady told me she was acquainted with a Meth- 
odist minister's daughter by the name of Miss Frances 

70 



god's guiding hand. 71 

Fox, now living in Campbell's Cross who usea to live 
in that town and wondered if I was the Mr. Jacobs she 
spoke of. I became interested at once, for that was the 
name of the girl who so nobly said, "I am saved and I 
know it," before I was converted. Having some real 
estate business to attend to within a mile or so of that 
place where she then lived, I drove there the next day, 
remained over Sunday and went to the Methodist church. 
To my surprise I met that young girl, now a young 
lady, actively engaged in the Lord's work, still able to 
give the same testimony, "I know I am saved." I was 
pleased to testify to her in return, that the blood of Jesus 
Christ was applied to my heart and I had the witness 
I was God's redeemed child ; not only did I know that I 
was confirmed but also knew that I was converted. 

This young lady having a desire to do greater work 
for the Master than what she could do at her home 
church, and seeing a wider field open and an opportunity 
to do service for Him, entered the Hamilton general 
hospital as nurse, where she remained two years, lack- 
ing one month. While home on a vacation, her father 
was suddenly taken sick and other reasons caused 
her to remain at home with her parents, who were 
at this time living in King City, Ontario. We 
again met, and I afterwards became a regular caller, until 



72 god's guiding hand. 

the 19th of March, 1891, when we were married in the 
Methodist church of that place. 

My place of business being in Toronto, we started 
housekeeping in that city, near the Episcopal church of 
which I was a member, and I took my accustomed place 
in the robed choir, but finding that my wife could not 
enjoy herself here as well as she could in the Methodist 
church, she having been a member all her life, I joined 
that church with her where I used to attend the class- 
meeting, and afterwards attended it, not as a visitor, but 
as one of them. We lived here for two years and then 
moved to Chicago Heights, having entered into part- 
nership with two friends in a very promising manufac- 
turing enterprise. 

While living here the Methodist preacher invited me 
to take charge of the night services one Sunday evening. 
Being very anxious to have my talk just so, I invited 

the preacher, Bro. B , to take supper with us the 

night before, and read the paper to him that I had pre- 
pared. After making a few corrections, the paper was 
pronounced by the preacher to be good. 

You should have seen me as I took my place behind 
the desk. Having a good pair of eyes, I stood back 
from the desk a little, straightened up, showed my old 
self, and carefully opened my Bible. 

After the required singing, I began and succeeded 



god's guiding hand. 73 

very nicely for a time. All at once I felt that my eyes 
were growing dim. I stepped closer and closer to the 
desk. Suddenly I looked up and saw the lamp was go- 
ing out. I said to myself, 'Til brave it out, with the help 
of the Lord." When I got through the preacher de- 
clared it was better than I had written down. I thought 
of the light going out, when God called me to preach 
the Gospel, and from that day to this I have never taken 
a note into the pulpit to use in preaching. I have learned 
that the Lord will direct by His Spirit in all things. 

Our business proved a failure. Through a misunder- 
standing and placing too much confidence in my partner, 
lost all but four dollars and our house furniture. We 
leaned heavily on Jesus, remembering the promise given 
in the Word of God that He would not leave us nor for- 
sake us. 

On getting up from our knees, one morning, a man 
stepped up to our door and wanted to know if he could 
buy a turntable, one-horse wagon, and also added, "I 
have no time to search for one myself; will you please 
hunt one for me, and I will pay you about twenty-five 
dollars for one." I had not gone very far when another 
man met me, asking me if I wanted to buy a good wagon. 
"Yes, sir," I replied. After examining his wagon I 
found it was the same kind my first man was in search 
of. One hour after I found my first man, showed him 



74 god's guiding hand. 

the wagon ; after examining and considering a little 
while, he said, "I'll give you twenty-five dollars 
for it and you can buy the wagon as cheap as you 
please." I bought the wagon for twelve dollars, making 
a profit of thirteen dollars. I felt that God helped me 
in this and I gave Him thanks, remembering, "God will 
supply all our needs according to His riches in glory," 
if we will trust Him. 

We then decided to move to Chicago. A brother very 
kindly loaned us his team and wagon to move with, but 
while we were on the road our wagon broke down and 
unfortunately we were caught in a storm. Everything 
was soaked through, so that we were powerless to take 
the whole load to its destination, causing us to make 
the second trip. It looked as if everything was against 
us, but at last we reached Chicago and we praised God 
for a religion that we could keep through a storm. We 
paid our rent for a month and had only two dollars 
left. Then we called on God for more help, as I had 
no employment, and it was almost impossible to get any 
during the World's Fair. We were no sooner settled 
than a knock came at the door. Upon answering, a 
young man stood at the door, and inquired if we could 
tell him where he could get rooms for six persons, or 
if we could keep them over night. Not forgetting the 
prayer that we had offered up in the morning for help, 



god's guiding hand. 75 

Mrs. Jacobs heard our conversation and invited him to 
step in. Soon we decided to take them for a week, so 
we continued entertaining World's Fair visitors, it be- 
ing the last month of the Fair. By this we received a 
nice start again, and from this time we were prosperous. 
Every Sunday afternoon during this time found me 
at the Y. M. C. A. or Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion rooms at the 4 o'clock meeting for men only. I 
enjoyed giving my testimony for the Lord and taking 
part in the open air work. The Rev. O. E. Murray, who 
was then a Methodist preacher, was invited one Sunday 
afternoon to give us a talk. Before talking, he sang 
a hymn entitled, "My Mother's Bible," which I reprint 
by his permission : 

"Blessed Book my mother gave me, 
Gave to me with all her love, 
Ere that she was called to leave me, 
For the better world above 
Yes, it makes me think of mother, 
And of all my mother gave; 
Just to point me to the Savior, 
He who came to seek and save. 

CHORUS. 

"I will love it, I will love it, 
I will press it to my heart; 
I will follow all its teachings 

Till from earth I shall depart. 



76 god's guiding hand. 

"This was mother's gift when dying, 
For she dropped it in my hand, 
As her spirit was departing, 
To the blessed glory land. 
Holy Book, by mother given, 
Book of Life, and light and joy, 
Chosen from our Father's treasures, 
For my mother's wandering boy. 

"All in vain the scoffing sceptic, 
Laughs my mother's faith to scorn; 
Never shall the truth she planted, 
From my trusting heart be torn. 
For I know a mother's blessing, 
Rests upon this Book divine; 
And upon my shadowed pathway, 
Its bright rays will ever shine." 

After the meeting I walked about two blocks with 
him, and thanked him for singing that song ; told him how 
it carried me back to the time when mother gave me a 
Bible behind the bar in a hotel. He answered, "You 
love the Bible and all its teachings?" "Yes," said I. 
"Then you believe in Holiness, do you?" I replied, "I 
don't know about that." 

When I reached home and told Mrs. Jacobs about 
this preacher and the beautiful song he sang, she also 



god's guiding hand. 77 

was anxious to hear him. It reminded me of the time 
that God, for Christ's sake, forgave me of my sins, and 
again reminded me of the time I had in the Wesleyan 
Methodist church, debating on holiness and the search 
I had in my Bible on that subject. y 

We went to the First Methodist church, Englewood, 
for the evening service and behold ! there was Rev. O. 
E. Murray sitting on the platform. H'e took for his text, 
"The sower went forth to sow." In a few months the 
Rock River Conference of the M. E. Church was held 
and this preacher was appointed to the Simpson M. E 
Church of Englewood, about ten blocks from our house. 
We were pleased when we heard it; attending there a 
few months we united with this church by letter, which 
we had received from the Wesleyan Methodist Church, 
Toronto, Canada. We enjoyed the class-meetings, love 
feasts, Epworth League, and took part in them all; be- 
came active members in this church. They had two 
classes, one was composed of old people; the other of 
young people ; but somehow, I longed to be in the old peo- 
ple's class room. 

I watched their faces carefully as they gave their 
testimony and I knew that some of them had something 
or an experience I did not have. They told of a second 
work but I made sure I got all at conversion. I knew 



78 god's guiding hand. 

though that war was going on within my heart ; time and 
time again, I would weep in giving my testimony as I 
thought of the pit from which the Lord had saved me. 
But wife and I had a hungering in our souls for 
something, we knew not what. 

The Devil was not slack in his work in trying to 
switch us off the right road and from finding that which 
would satisfy. He used a neighbor who was acquainted 
with my father in Canada, a good man at heart but who 
had drifted off into spiritualism. They informed us that 
father would return from the spirit world and would ad- 
vise me what was best to do. They invited us to their 
meetings and to their seances. Having confidence in 
them as good people we went with them to some of their 
meetings. The seance was held in the dark, not a ray 
of light was allowed in the room. This brought to my 
remembrance (John 3:20.) 'Tor every one that doeth 
evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his 
deeds should be reproved." They said no spirits came 
because we were doubting. Thank God we were doubt- 
ers for we might have drifted off if we had not have 
counseled with the Lord. Here is the mistake so many 
people make, in not going to the right source for protec- 
tion. In the Word of God we find that the Spirit (or the 
Comforter) will guide us into all truth and will guide us 
with his counsel (Psl. 32:8.) "I will instruct thee and 



god's guiding hand. 79 

teach thee in the way whicn tnou shalt go." "The Lord 
shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in 
drought, and make fat thy bones ; and thou shalt be like 
a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters 
fail not." Thank God for the Bible for it has been a lamp 
unto our feet and a guide to our pathway. He showed 
us Spiritualism was not of him and enabled us to lead 
and point some of his people, who had gone astray back- 
again to Christ. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



MY SANCTIFICATION. 



One Sunday morning Rev. O. E. Murray preached 
from the text, u O house of Israel, cannot I do with you 
as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in 
the potter's hand so are ye in mine hand, O house of 
Israel." (Jeremiah i8:-6.) While preaching from this 
text, I made sure that he was preaching straight at me, 
especially when he referred to some of the bubbles in the 
clay. He said the Potter of our eternal welfare needed 
to pound the bubbles out of us and make us 'Vessels unto 
honor sanctified and meet for the Master's use." 

Among the things he mentioned was a worldly ambi- 
tion, temper, selfishness, pride and so forth. I knew two 
of the things spoken of troubled me. However he made 
it very plain that a man troubled with these things was 

not at his best for God. 

80 



god's guiding hand. 81 

I waited patiently until the service was over, then I 
shook his hands and said to him with rather a harsh 
voice and stiffness, "Say, Brother Murray what did you 
preach that sermon at me for." As sweetly as any person 
could answer, he said, "Why, did it hit you?" I re- 
plied, "You know it did." "Well," said he, "then get out 
of the way, so the next time I preach, it won't hit you." 
Well I felt hurt and told my wife I would not go back 
to that church any more, but the next night found me 
back. I expected of course he would pat me on the back 
and say "I meant it for Brother So and So, not for you," 
instead of making it easier for me, he made it worse. 
A deep conviction seized me from that day and I felt my 
need for more from the Lord or as John Wesley called 
it, "The Second Blessing, properly so-called." 

My business at this time was collecting for a Chicago 
business house and all the spare time I had, was spent 
in studying law, expecting to be admitted to the bar, as 
an attorney. My whole ambition, after losing all I had 
in the manufacturing business, was to be a great criminal 
lawyer. I was determined to be something in this world 
if it laid in my power. I aimed to have my name in the 
head lines of the daily papers, as the one who made a re- 
markable plea that had given some criminal his liberty, 
and also knowing that if I was a success, my income 
would be large. 



82 GOD S GUIDING HAND. 

Night after night until I o'clock in the morning 
would find me studying and for practice I would make 
an address to the jury, which was composed of my wife, 
who not only composed the jury but also acted as judge, 
as to the effectiveness of my plea. When I heard the 
sermon on the bubbles in the clay, I felt somewhat small. 

I attempted in several ways to work off this conviction 
but as I continued going to church and listening to the 
sermons on holiness, my conviction grew deeper and 
deeper. I was not able to eat, nor sleep for almost a 
week. I do not know that I was ever so tempted as I 
was the day before the Lord sanctified my soul. 

While I was collecting I had to pass a number of 
saloons in Chicago, the adversary of my soul would 
tempt me to go in and drink in order to drown the trouble 
or to drive away the burden but I always gained the 
victory by asking God for help, as I would step to the 
saloon door. It seemed as if I would never reach home 
that night. The burden was so heavy and the tempta- 
tions so strong but I remembered the Lord promised a 
way of escape and would not let me be tempted above 
what I was able to bear. I thought of Peter walking on the 
sea, and how he cried out, "Lord save me," when he saw 
the waves growing boisterous and they almost swamped 
him. Thank God I cried out, "Lord help me !" and he 
did. Bless his dear name ! When I reached home that 



god's guiding hand. 83 

night I found that wife had prepared an Englishman's 
dinner for me. It was a nice sirloin steak, fried onions, 
mashed potatoes and a Yorkshire pudding. When I re- 
fused to eat, wife let a tear drop on her cheek. I at once 
asked her, what was the matter. She said, "I have gone to 
all this trouble and now you will not eat." I found she 
was in the same condition as I was, under conviction. I 
attempted to eat but it seemed everything I put in my 
mouth choked me. There was a walnut in my throat. 

Dear reader I was after the spiritual not the physical. 
I knew that night special meetings were being held in 
Brother Murray's church so I suggested that we go to 
church. We started and found the doors closed for we 
were half an hour too early. 

We sat on the door step for a while, then walked up 
and down the street until time for the meeting. My 
soul was so hungry I could hardly wait. When the 
service commenced I was disappointed to learn that 
Brother Murray had gone away for that night, and a man 
had charge in whom I had no confidence as a child of 
God. The crowd kept coming in and among the number 
was a sister by the name of Felmlee. Before this my wife 
had drawn my attention to her as being a woman of much 
works, and who thought the church would fail if she were 
not there. She had not a very sweet look at times, but 
this night wife said, "J ust 1°°^ at Sister Felmlee. Some- 



84 god's guiding hand. 

thing has happened to her sure. Where she once had a 
long face she now has smiles." It was all explained 
when she testified to the people that she had received a 
clean heart, and God had sanctified her soul. She told 
how the Lord had directed her to leave her washing in 
the boiler on the stove, that afternoon, and go to the All 
day Holiness meeting, which was held not far from there 
that Friday. I could see she had this blessing for it 
shone on her face and of course it made me more 
hungry. 

All I could say or do, while this man was reading 
and expounding the Scripture in his way was, "O, Lord 
stop him and give me a chance to pray." At last he gave 
the invitation. I made a rush for the altar. While I 
knelt there, how my heart did go out to God asking him 
for more but the Spirit dealt with me and brought to 
my remembrance the weights that should be laid aside 
and the inbred sin which had so easily upset me, which 
I had inherited from my forefathers. Paul commanded us 
to present our bodies "a living sacrifice, holy and accept- 
able unto God which is our reasonable service," which 
I could not do at the time of my conversion because I 
was dead in trespasses and sins and in rebellion against 
God, but having been born again or made a new creature 
in Christ Jesus by a new and living way, I now could 
obey the command and present my body a living sacri- 



god's guiding hand. 85 

fice by consecration, providing x was willing to die out to 
the things of the world, "for all that is in the world, the 
lust of the flesh and pride of life is not of the Father." 
The Scripture further tells us not to be "conformed to this 
world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds" 
and put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge 
after the image of him that created us in righteous- 
ness and true holiness, in order that we may prove what 
is the acceptable and perfect will of God. Paul says, 
"This is the will of God even your sanctification." I 
heard some one say give up home but I had done that in 
my conversion. I had other things to give up and my 
Heavenly Father through the agency of the Holy Spirit 
led me to give up until all was on the altar, as I thought. 
But I did not get relief. I cried out, "What else Lord?" 
he answered "What about self ?" I must say it was hard 
to put Jacobs on the altar but it was Holiness or Hell 
for me. 

After a hard struggle I cried out again, "Lord take 
self to be what you want me to be ; to go where you want 
me to go; or to lay as clay in the hands of the potter." 
As I cried "Take self," the heavens opened; a joy un- 
speakable and full of glory came into my soul and surged 
through me from head to foot; it seemed as if a ton 
weight let go of my feet and I bounced up into the air 
with a jump, shouted with victory in my soul. This 



86 god's guiding hand. 

promise came to my mind and was fulfilled in my case, 
"Being ye all the tithes and offerings into the storehouse, 
that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now, 
herewith, saith the Lord of host, if I will not open you 
the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing, that 
there shall not be room enough to receive it." 

He gave me a good measure, pressed down, shaken 
together, and running over, hallelujah! It seemed the 
whole church was filled with the glory of God. When I 
read that the disciples were noisy at the day of Pentecost, 
I said no wonder. 

That night I was lost to my surroundings and did 
not know my wife was kneeling by my side seeking this 
blessed experience until I jumped up from the altar with 
victory in my soul when I was too full of the joy of the 
Lord to help her. I ran down one aisle and up the other. 
When I passed wife she caught me by the coat saying, 
"Albert, take me home, I feel so empty. My reply was, 
"O, no. I am full and must get some poor sinner saved." 
Praise the Lord, she too, got the victory and the blood 
cleansed her from all sin. Dear reader, this was the first 
time I ever shouted in church as I always thought a man 
or woman was crazy who said Amen, out of place but 
Amen or anything else was all right with me that night. 
I had to give vent and testify to the fact that I was 
sanctified wholly and received the Holy Ghost. I felt like 



god's guiding hand. 87 

taking every one in my arms and carrying them to the 
throne of grace. My heart went out to the unsaved and 
I loved them as I never loved them before. It seemed to 
me that every person would be delighted to know I had 
this wonderful experience and they would want it too, 
but I found it was not so. The very persons who ought 
to have helped me along with gladness withdrew them- 
selves from me and I became one of the despised little 
ones. I was pleading with sinners until twelve o'clock 
that night, when the last sinner in the church fell down 
before the Lord and cried out for mercy. I know not how 
I reached home but I know wife was on one side of me 
and Mrs. O. E. Murray, "the pastor's wife," on the other, 
guiding me as I shouted and jumped all the way home. 
Mrs. Jacobs made the statement that something had 
happened to me for she had never seen me act that way 
before. Surely something had happened for my Heav- 
enly Father had accepted this body which I presented a 
living sacrifice as commanded by Paul. Obedience 
brought joy in the Holy Ghost, "Bless His name for- 
ever !" 

While I am writing, joy is flowing like a river, Jesus 
said I speak this unto you that my joy might remain in 
you and that your joy might be full. Christians do not 
know the real joy of salvation in its fullness until all 
is laid on the altar with hands off and obey the leading 



88 god's guiding hand. 

of the Spirit. O, glory! the joy bells are now ringing in 
my soul. Praise the Lord for present and full salvation! 
Everything the Lord has given me is on the altar and 
His word declares that the altar sanctifies the gift : I 
enjoy the whole will of God; his will is my will. I am 
ready to go or stay ; do or be ; just what he would have 
me be; with an upward gaze in my soul, hallelujah. 
"I've no thirsting for life's pleasures, nor adorning rich 
and gay for I have found a richer treasure, one that 
fadeth not away." I have a deep determination to go 
through to the end with Jesus at any cost. The blessed 
Holy Spirit is abiding in my soul and I am comfortable 
in his kingdom and inspired in the faith. I praise God 
for present, perfect, complete, overcoming, unspeakable, 
unquestionable, victory in my soul. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



CALLED TO PREACH. 



At the time the Lord entirely sanctified my soul, I 
was reading law under one of the Chicago lawyers as I 
mentioned before and expected a license to practice law 
in the court of Illinois in about six weeks. As I travelled 
on the street to my place of business I always carried 
my Law Book with me to read. 

One morning when I opened the book, instead of 
reading law all I could read on its pages was, "Albert, 
study your Bible." It seemed I was blind to everything but 
these words. I closed the book and when I reached home 
at night told wife about it. She replied, "O, Albert you 
are so happy that you just think it. Because you are 
sanctified you do not have to preach." After talking the 
matter over with a few preachers without satisfaction, 
wife showed me how I could go on with my law, make 

89 



90 god's guiding hand. 

money, send missionaries to the foreign fields, help to 
pay preachers and so forth, instead of going myself. 

It sounded reasonable so I consented to read on at my 
law and study the Bible, whenever I could get a chance. 
In a few days I heard Rev. G. A. McLaughlin, editor of 
the Christian Witness, preach from the 55th chapter of 
Isaiah. He being filled with the Holy Spirit, I thought 
I would ask him about the question of preaching that so 
perplexed me. He said he would not tell any man to 
preach, but that God would make it plain to me without 
a doubt if he wanted me to. The next morning while 
reading on the car as usual I read across its pages, "Go 
ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every 
creature." I felt satisfied within myself God had called 
me. When I returned home I told wife and after sup- 
per, while reading the law again, all at once the book be- 
came very heavy and a deap sleep was stealing over me. 
As I said to wife, "I cannot hold this book," it fell to the 
floor. She had just stepped into one of the rooms and 
in a short while came out and said, "Albert, I do not 
want you to be a preacher unless you are called of God 
and you know it for a certainty. There are so many 
men who go into the ministry without certain knowledge 
that they are called of God and leave it without success." 

Just then a young girl of about fifteen summers came 
in and we all decided to have prayer. We prayed the 



god's guiding hand. 91 

Lord to show me plainly what he wanted me to do, we 
received no assurance just then but went to Simpson M. 
E. Church. 

It -was Thanksgiving night, the church was full. 
Among the number were several preachers. The one that 
preached was a Free Methodist. After I got through 
seating the people, I took a chair in front of the altar. 
The meeting was opened to testimony and the people 
were enjoying themselves, telling what the Lord had 
done for them. After listening a while, I joined in and 
began to tell them how the Lord had sanctified my soul 
I was pointing to the very spot at the altar when a great 
joy came into my soul causing me to shout and jump. I 
then sat down on the chair where I had been sitting pre- 
viously. A deep sleep came over me so that I did not hear 
the sermon. 

Sister C — was sitting in front near me and they tell 
me she touched me on the knee saying, "Mr. Jacobs, are 
you sick." I made no answer. Another lady spoke to 
me but no answer came. Wife came to me after the 
sermon was over saying, "Albert, what is the matter!" 
I began immediately to clap my knee shouting "Glory ! 
Glory ! Glory !" While shouting I stretched out, my 
chair went from under me and I lay on the floor for a 
few minutes like a dead man. It caused a commotion. 
The preachers all but the Free Methodist left the church 



92 god's guiding hand. 

with most of the people. The lawyer with whom I was 
studying law said, "O, he is excited." Some of the 
church members asked wife if I had fainted and needed 
a doctor; while another was wanting to throw cold 
water on me and rub my hands and arms. A young man 
came rushing up from the back of the church saying, 
"Is he drunk." "Yes," said the Free Methodist preacher, 
"he is drunk with the new wine that came upon the 
disciples at the day of Pentecost." 

In spite of all, they began to rub my hands. Wife 
told them to stand back. This was in answer to prayer 
and that I was in God's hands. They all went to prayer 
for me. I got a view of Heaven and saw Jesus stand- 
ing. I was so carried away with the brightness of his 
face that I watched Him with amazement. The human 
tongue cannot express the beauties of that scene. How 
sweet and sympathetic Christ looked with his arm out- 
stretched and his finger pointing in the direction of a 
mass of humanity struggling to get one above the other. 
The agonizing cries were touching to hear. It seemed 
they all wanted to be on top and as fast as one would get 
up, the others would pull him down and so on it con- 
tinued. I could not understand until I heard them sing- 
ing "I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord." I said 
"Yes Lord I will go." Then the Holy Spirit made it 



god's guiding hand. 93 

plain that my Heavenly Father wanted me to preach the 
gospel or preach Christ to the people. 

I sprang to my feet and told the congregation what 
the Lord wanted me to do. It was satisfactory to my 
wife who said Amen to the whole will of God for she 
knew then the Lord had called me. I had no experience 
in preaching and had never led but one meeting outside 
of the Epworth League and prayer meetings. So I 
asked the Lord what I should do. He made it plain 
to me in the passage recorded in (Luke 14: 23 ) "Go out 
into the highway and hedges and compel them to come 
in that my house may be filled." After consulting with 
our pastor, who gave me an Exhorter's license, the fol- 
lowing Sunday I asked for volunteers to go out on the 
street corner for an open air meeting. The church mem- 
bers responded to my invitation and the first meeting 
found about thirty young people in number. God honored 
our work by letting us see two bright conversions in the 
League, the result of our open air meeting. 

Not being satisfied with only the mid-week prayer 
meeting, I opened my house for prayer meetings through 
the week. They were well attended and God honored 
us by saving souls. Then we organized cottage prayer 
meetings at different homes, five nights in the week. 
Then I joined the Wesley Praying Band of Chicago. 
This was a band of twelve sanctified business men, under 



94 GOD S GUIDING HAND. 

the leadership of J. W. Ryerson. Some say that busi- 
ness men cannot get sanctified and keep it among busi- 
ness men of to-day ; but those men did and were filled 
with the Holy Ghost. We would divide up and go to 
the different churches to hold all day Sunday services. 

At other times, the twelve would hold a meeting to- 
gether. God wonderfully blest and owned the testimony 
that each business man would give concerning the keep- 
ing power of God through the week. God can regenerate 
and entirely sanctify business men and keep them sweet 
in the midst of wicked men. Souls would be saved at 
nearly every service. 



CHAPTER XV. 



TESTINGS. 



After coming into this experience of perfect love, the 
hardest test that I received was while I was a member of 
The Wesley Praying Band. We were out at one of the 
suburban churches for a Sunday service. I was called on 
by the leader to say a few words and in my talk in the 
morning service, I made this statement that I was abid- 
ing in Christ and Christ in me. Among the number in 
the congregation was an aged brother who had been in 
the Master's cause for years, as a minister of the Gospel 
and a teacher in one of our largest theological schools 
but who is now in the optical business. He invited me 
home to dinner. On our way home he said, "My young 
brother you made a big statement this morning in say- 
ing that you were abiding in Christ and Christ in you. 
Now I know that we can abide in Jesus but I want you 
to explain how Jesus can abide in you." 

95 



96 god's guiding hand. 

When we reached the home, his beautiful home, he 
gave me a chair on the veranda. He took his mother into 
the house and came out where I was. Seating himself on 
a chair beside me, he asked me for scripture and my au- 
thority for saying that Jesus was abiding in me. In 
silent prayer I asked the Lord to help me, and gave him 
the following verses : "I am the vine, ye are the branches, 
he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth 
forth much fruit; for without me (or severed from* me) 
ye can do nothing." (John 14: 17.) "Know ye not that 
your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in 
you." "For ye are the temple of the living God, as God 
hath said. I will dwell in them and walk in them and I 
will be their God and they shall be my people." (2 Cor. 
6: 16.) "I am in my father and ye in me, and I in you." 
(John 14: 20.) "Even the spirit of truth whom the 
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither 
knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with 
you and shall be in you." 

He said "My brother I will agree, that the branches 
are in the tree but cannot agree that the tree is in the 
branch," pointing to a beautiful tree full of branches, 
"It's impossible for that tree to be in those branches." 

I said "Brother let me prove it. Get me an axe so that 
I can cut that limb off." 

"O no," he replied, "I don't want the tree spoiled." 



god's guiding hand. 97 

Of course I told him the tree would live. He im- 
mediately answered that the branches would die. My 
next question was why? He said because it would be 
separated from the tree and the sap could not reach it. 
I inquired "What is the sap ?" 

He replied "The life." 

"Well/"' said I, "that is how we have Jesus abiding 
in us. W r e have his spirit which is his life and if we have 
the life which is Christ then we have Him." It was my 
privilege to see that brother, a man of sixty years or 
more, call on God that afternoon for the Holy Ghost to 
sanctify him wholly that he might have Christ abiding 
in him. 

I was with this band about two years. During this 
time wife and I were invited to hold an Epworth League 
meeting in West Chicago, a small town, a short distance 
from the city of Chicago. Before going we were in a 
Bible class, held by Brother Newell of the Moody Insti- 
tute and sent up a request for prayer that a revival might 
break out in that town, while we were there. God an- 
swered prayer. The first night of the meeting, four souls 
were converted and some of them were the mischievous 
boys of the town. The next night being prayer meeting 
they insisted that we stay. Several more souls were con- 
verted so we decided to stay for a few days as I was not 
working that week. Souls were converted at every 



98 god's guiding hand. 

service and believers were sanctified. One of the Elders, 
the pastor's father, heard of the meeting and came over 
to see if the work was genuine and the doctrine preached 
was all right. He left saying the work was for time and 
eternity and God was in it. 

Presiding Elder of the district at that time came over 
on Saturday night, stayed over Sunday and preached at 
night. He took for his text Phil. 2: 12, "Work out your 
own salvation with fear and trembling." In his dis- 
course he told the people he would perhaps surprise them 
by telling them justification was obtained by faith and 
not by works but sanctification was received by working 
out your own salvation in slum work with fear and 
trembling. That is : they were to do slum work in order 
to be sanctified. After the sermon the meeting was 
thrown open for testimonies. The people were so filled 
with joy in the Holy Ghost that they could hardly keep 
silent as long as they did. They jumped up like pop corn 
to testify. Those that the Lord had sanctified said they 
knew they were converted, but that the Lord had sancti- 
fied them wholly without working in the slums ; that they 
had consecrated their bodies a living sacrifice, and were 
now fit or prepared to work out their salvation with fear 
and trembling, "For it is God which worketh in you both 
to will and to do of his good pleasure." 

He did not like to have the people get excited and in 



god's guiding hand. 99 

order to calm the meeting he sent another man saying 
the work was too hard for one man to do alone. 

I conducted the afternoon services and the Lord con- 
tinued saving souls. At night the brother took a text 
but made me the subject. He tried very hard to break 
down the good work, but the Lord was the Captain and 
God kept overflowing my heart with joy and sweetness. 

glory hallelujah ! From this place we went to the city 
of Elgin and helped in a Baptist mission about a week 
and were blest of God. Then we returned to Chicago. 

1 felt God was calling wife and I to work together in 
the cause. I might add right here, all the time I was 
preaching at night. I was holding a business position 
in the city through the day, which I had held for five 
years. 

While working for this firm, I was put to a test as to 
the keeping power of God in a trying hour. Mrs. Jacobs 
had been sick for some time and had just returned from 
a trip to Canada when the manager requested me to re- 
port for work the following Sunday. I at once replied, 
"Mr. G — , I cannot work on the Sabbath, Lam a child 
of God." He being a man who insisted on his orders 
being carried out, replied, "Yes you will or you'll not 
work here." 

Nothing more was said until I was leaving the office 
when Mr. G — called to me saying, "Jacobs, report in 

L. o£ 3- 



100 god's guiding hand. 

the morning, if you are not here we can't use you at all." 
When I reached home I told Mrs. Jacobs the orders, say- 
ing, "What shall I do?" She told me that after the rent 
was paid we would have two dollars left, adding let us 
ask advice from Brother J. — who was a blessed man of 
God. 

While dressing to attend a meeting, Mrs. Jacobs re- 
turned with the information that the brother said I could 
do it for one Sunday but if he was me he would not do 
it all the time. The thought came to me if it was wrong 
for all the time it must be wrong for one Sunday but I 
soon decided the matter after prayer, by taking the Word 
of God for it which is, "Remember the Sabbath day and 
keep it Holy." 

Sunday came, I filled my engagement to preach and 
on Monday morning I went to my place of business but 
found a note for me saying, "Not wanted. Your place is 
filled." I said "Glory," and started out to find a new 
job. Everything I found included Sunday work, our 
money was fast going, and Mrs. Jacobs sick. 

One morning I told her we were on the last quarter 
of a dollar. She suggested that we live on six buns a 
day for we had promised the Lord we would not go in 
debt. I could not agree to the suggestion at first, knowing 
wife to be sick. Then she replied, "Remember the 
loaves and fishes." That day I went to where they were 



god's guiding hand. 101 

elevating the railroads and asked the foreman if he 
wanted any more shovelers. "Yes," was the reply, "but 
no tenderfoot like you, you don't know how to shovel." 
And that was the run of it, having lived on six buns for 
five days but there was victory in my soul. I was return- 
ing with the buns that I had bought with the last nickle 
when the postman handed me a letter which read, "If you 
are not working, Mr. G — wishes to see you." It was 
from the firm that discharged me. Having handled lots 
of money for them I thought perhaps they had found a 
mistake in my account, so I started to walk down to the 
city, a distance of eight miles. When I reached the 
office Mr. G. — said, "Jacobs are you working?" 

I said "No sir;" he handed me some accounts and 
ordered me to settle them some way or other for him, 
handing me fifty cents for carfare. When my day's work 
was finished I reported again and was informed that I 
might return in the morning and' also to keep the balance 
of the fifty cents as it had been charged up as expenses. 

The next day was pay day and I was surprised to find 
in my envelope an increase on my former wages. I 
spoke of it to the cashier who said that the manager had 
ordered an increase of two dollars per week saying that 
a man of that principle was worth that much to them. 

So through obedience to the Lord he made the same 
devil that discharged me hire me over again paying me 



102 god's guiding hand. 

eight dollars a month more and gave me four hours a 
day more to study the Bible. 

Let us be true and trust God no matter what the con- 
flicts may be. We could have borrowed money from 
friends but we were trusting Him who supplied all our 
needs, through Christ Jesus, according to his riches in 
glory and who hath loved us and given His life for us. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

MISSION WORK AND FIRST TENT WORK. 

While holding my position after being called to 
preach, I could hear the Lord calling me to spread out 
into broader fields and we asked him to open up a way. 
One evening a brother by the name of Ahall> a black- 
smith by trade came to our home and told us that the 
Lord had impressed upon his heart, to open a Gospel 
Mission and that he would give his means or support to- 
wards paying and keeping the financial interests up, and 
wife and I were to be in charge. 

We had the assurance that some work would open 

soon but did not expect it that way. We went to work 

immediately, rented a store, bought an organ and about 

two hundred chairs, painted the chairs, got things fixed 

up in general ready for the meeting, and set the date for 

the opening. We went to prayer to see who should lead 

the opening service and agreed on asking Dr. Carradine, 

103 



104 god's guiding hand. 

who was holding" services in the Holiness Tabernacle on 
Western avenue. We felt we would be highly honored 
to have him preach for us, if he should consent to come. 
The first time I asked him to help us, he did not give 
us a definite answer but said he would if the Lord di- 
rected. Our faith failed not and we invited him the 
second time and he kindly accepted. 

It was a large mission and the people came from all 
the surrounding churches to attend the opening service. 
The building was filled with people. God wonderfully 
talked through Dr. Carradine, and the building seemed 
to be filled with the glory of God. Shouts were going 
up from the saints continually, while others were weep- 
ing on account of their sins. Sinners were converted, 
believers sanctified- and God's children built up in the 
most holy faith. We held meetings in this mission for 
sometime and God honored us in the saving of souls. In 
the meantime I visited Brother Carradine in his home, 
Oak Park, Chicago, for the purpose of asking him some 
questions concerning my spiritual welfare. 

While I was in the house, two ladies came in whom I 
was acquainted with. After a short conversation the 
Dr. said to the them, "You will hear of this young man 
travelling over the country preaching this glorious 
Gospel of full salvation." When I started for home he 
handed me a book, (Footprints of Jesus) and said, "You 



god's guiding hand. 105 

will require someone to recommend you. You may re- 
fer to me." I am sure I appreciated this and thanked 
God for his kindness in answering- prayer feeling he was 
directed by the Holy Ghost to help me. 

In a year we closed our mission to attend the first 
camp meeting held at West Pullman. During the meet- 
ing a young Hollander by the name of Dick Stenstra was 
gloriously converted with other young Hollanders living 
near Roseland. Their parents, members of the Dutch 
Reformed Church, were very much opposed to them and 
the church authorities were persecuting them. Brother 
and Sister Stenstra became very anxious about the young 
converts and invited us to hold a meeting in their house 
"holding over an hundred people," in hopes that they 
might be established in the faith. Having decided to 
close our mission permanently, I accepted the invitation 
and announced a meeting for every Friday. As soon 
as it became known that the meeting was going to be held 
there the persecution broke out in the homes by children 
being whipped by their parents, husbands thrashing their 
wives until some had marks upon their bodies. The par- 
ents forgetting that they themselves escaped to America 
on account of religious persecution and cruelty. But 
God honored the Word and night after night Brother 
Dick's home would not hold the people. A wife was 
taken from the meeting and whipped because she insisted 



106 god's guiding hand. 

that the Lord had saved her. On the following day she 
showed Mrs. Jacobs the marks on her body where she 
was kicked and whipped and said, "I know how the three 
Hebrews felt as they were placed in the fiery furnace 
for the form of the fourth was with them like unto the 
Son of God. The whipping did not hurt me for Jesus 
was with me." 

The meeting became so interesting that the young 
people wanted us to hold two meetings a week and 
while these meetings continued God wonderfully revealed 
himself. After the persecution broke out there were 
strange manifestations. Men and women fell under the 
power of God and laid for hours unconscious. A 
woman, while visiting Sister Stenstra, made a mock of 
those that had fallen unconscious, and passed the remark 
that she would like to go to hell and back. Then she 
would tell them all about it. The words had hardly left 
her lips when she fell to the floor and laid for hours, 
pleading for a drop of water to quench her parched lips, 
and saying, "O that my tears would flow and wet my 
lips." 

Eye witnesses informed me that you could hear her 
pant in two rooms from where she was, like a little 
dog in the hottest day of summer; when she arose from 
the floor she learned it was not safe to trifle with the 
work of the Lord, for God is not mocked and some- 



god's guiding hand. 107 

times will take us at our word. So we ought to be 
careful what we say. This same woman, because I spoke 
of Sabbath desecration and happened to touch her case, 
became very angry and informed others that she was 
coming to meeting to slap my mouth, and brought a 
witness to show that she could do it. The next Tues- 
day night being stormy there were not many out to the 
meeting. After singing a few songs we then engaged 
in prayer. While praying I could hear some person 
saying hypocrite, but paid no attention. Not feeling very 
well and being tired that night I left the meeting in 
charge of Mrs. Jacobs and stepped into another room 
to take some rest. In a few minutes this woman got 
up, followed by the other, and was about to step into 
the room where I was to pour out her satirical railings 
and reproachful accusations upon me, when I heard a 
fall. I stepped to the door and opened it, and there was 
this woman stretched out on the floor, saying with a 
harsh voice, "You old devil, you told me all day long 
to come and slap Jacobs' mouth and you would stand 
by me, and I told others that you would. Now God 
won't let me do it." 

This woman lay for three hours, talking in this man- 
ner, and reasoning the question of her eternal salvation 
with the Lord. Space will not permit me to tell how 
she reasoned, but when she did rise to her feet it was 



108 god's guiding hand. 

to acknowledge God as her Savior and all opposition 
was gone. 

After this I was called by some of them "The old 
conviction man." The Methodist Episcopal church of 
Pullman having Rev. Albertus Perry for pastor at that 
time, opened its doors for this band of brave young peo- 
ple. We held a meeting once a week, and God continued 
to pour out His spirit upon us. Rev. G. A. McLaugh- 
lin, editor of the Christian Witness, preached for us one 
night, and during the altar call a young woman fell into 
a trance-like condition, in which she was pleading with 
parents, who were opposing and threatening to whip 
her. She argued for holiness in a wonderful manner, 
and declared that she would be true to Jesus no matter 
how much she was beaten, and Jesus was in her heart 
and they could not whip it out. God will work and 
none can hinder. Spring coming on, the church wanted 
all the nights ; so the young people decided on giving 
what money they could to help me in getting a tent, and 
the first tent meeting was held in Brother Dick's front 
yard for two weeks. Satan continued to rage and caused 
all the opposition possible to impede the progress of the 
meeting, but we had the victory with the Joybells ring- 
ing in our souls. We sang, "We will roll the old chariot 
along, and if the devil is in the road we will roll it over 
him." 



god's guiding hand. 109 

People were converted in spite of all obstacles and 
resisting forces. At the close of the Roseland meeting 
we moved our tent to 107th Street, at the north end of 
Pullman, having received permission from the Pull- 
man Company to pitch our tent in the center of a vacant 
lot of about twenty acres. In the neighborhood the ma- 
jority of the people were living every day alike, forget- 
ting the Sabbath of our Lord. They thought a show 
had come to town and we could not convince the chil- 
dren until after the first night of meeting that it was 
not a circus or a show. Consequently we had our hands 
full in keeping them in subjection. While putting up 
the tent we announced the opening meeting by distribut- 
ing cards, and still they would not believe. The first 
night of the meeting the tent was filled with children 
and the parents remained on the outside. One woman 
inquired of Mrs. Jacobs if she could get in without a 
ticket being under the impression that the cards giverTout 
were tickets of admission. After receiving the knowledge 
that they were Gospel cards and seeing all children in the 
tent that night, she came to the conclusion she perhaps had 
better stay on the outside. A few nights of sermons, how- 
ever, convinced them that Jesus was passing that way 
and a pure life was demanded of them. The Holy 
Spirit settled old fashioned conviction on the people. 

Some men were heard to say, "What is this that 



110 god's guiding hand. 

has come over me." Others could not do much work 
in their place of business. A young boy, who heard a 
song in the children's meeting, began to sing it while 
working : 

"My sins rose as high as a mountain, 

They all disappeared in the fountain, 
He wrote my name down for a palace and crown 
O, bless His dear name, I am free." 

Conviction seized him. He started to pray, but did 
not get deliverance until he cried out for mercy at the 
altar. The tent was soon jammed to its utmost capacity, 
and people stood from two to six feet deep all around 
it. Many of them had never heard of a Gospel that 
would save the people from sin. God helped me to 
preach the truth straight. Old debts were paid. Whis- 
key jugs were broken and emptied out into the street; 
blind pig keepers were converted and quit their business ; 
reconciliations were made between husbands and wives; 
men and women addicted to the use of whiskey and 
tobacco were saved from their sins and appetites. 

During the meeting one night a young woman fell 
under the power of God, and laid for about two hours. 
Among the number looking on was an old man who 
had never witnessed such a sight before and insisted 
that we carry her out to the open air or send for a doc- 



god's guiding hand. Ill 

tor. I refused to do both, and ordered the officer who 
was there to keep the people back. Shortly after doing so 
we heard the gong of the patrol wagon of the city police 
and were surprised to hear them drive up to the tent, 
and then to hear the officer say, "Who sent for the 
wagon." I did not and at once demanded to know who 
had sent for it. The officer commenced to inquire, when 
the old man stepped up and said, "A delegation of citi- 
zens, sir, sent for the wagon, so they can take care of 
the preacher, for that girl is going to die." 

I said, "Officer," appealing to the one who had been 
there all evening, "who is the delegation?" The old 
man said, "I am one." The officer asked for the others. 
The old man called, "Come on boys, don't let me stand 
alone." Another then stepped up and replied, "I'll 
stand by you." 

I at once said, "Officer take these men with you. 
Charge them with disturbing a meeting of public wor- 
ship." "Step in, gentlemen," said the officer. The 
wagon rolled away with the prisoners, and the preacher 
went back to prayer, but did not appear against them 
in court, hoping this would teach them a lesson in the 
future. It reminded me of Mordecai, who built a gal- 
lows for a good man and fell in the trap himself. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



COMMENCEMENT OF TRAVELING AS EVANGELIST. 

Up to this time I was working through the day for 
my daily bread, and holding the meeting at night. Al- 
though the Lord honored my services, with souls con- 
verted and sanctified, yet everything seemed to go wrong 
with me at my place of business. One day, while driv- 
ing, I said, "Lord make known to me Thy will concern- 
ing me." The Lord said, "Drop all and launch out." 
I said, "Yes, I'll go out, Lord." But I must tell here 
why I did not go long before. Although I thanked the 
Lord for the five years' experience in home work, I 
thought the pay of a preacher or an evangelist was small 
and I needed two suits of clothes, time and time again 
when I would see my two suits in view, Mrs. Jacobs 
would go to some meeting where a collection would be 
taken up for some needful cause, and being obedient 

112 



god's guiding hand. 113 

to the Spirit of God, away would go my second suit, 
for she always carried the pocket book. 

One time, I remember on a Saturday night, I had 
the money saved up again, and was going out to get it, 
but company came to the house, which made it too late 
to go. So I stepped out to get some groceries for Sun- 
day and I met our pastor, who informed me that he was 
going to take up an offering for the winter's coal on Sab- 
bath morning. "How much are you going to give us?'' 
he said. I promised him three dollars. Sabbath morn- 
ing found us at church. The cause of coal was presented 
and the first one to reply was Mrs. Jacobs by saying, 
"I'll give five dollars." 

The pastor said,"Albert has already promised three, 
that makes eight dollars." 

She replied, "All right," and handed me her pocket- 
book, saying, "Go and pay it." Part of my suit that time 
was burnt up in coal in Simpson M. E, Church. 

After settling up business I told Mrs. Jacobs two 
suits or none I was going out for the Lord. So in a 
few days I was on my journey to Independence, Iowa, 
where Dr. Carradine was holding a meeting, and took 
a back seat in the tabernacle when I arrived. After 
preaching, the Doctor gave the altar call, and said, 
"Brother, come and take charge of this altar service." 
I did not understand that he meant me, being a stranger 



114 GOd's GUIDING HAND. 

in that place to all but him, and so did not move. Again 
he said, "Brother from Chicago, come and take this altar 
service." While going up I said to myself, "Surely God 
is opening the way." Every day after I took charge of 
the altar service when my health would permit. In my 
testimony I said I was willing to go anywhere for the 
Lord, so during an afternoon service the Doctor sent me 
for some change ; while away he spoke of me as one 
whom the Lord had his hand upon and that they could 
trust me. I noticed a difference in the people upon my 
return. That is, they toolc-me in as one of them. 

One brother who had been in the evangelistic work 
for years said, "My brother, Dr. Carradine gave you a 
good recommend, for which I am thankful." The first 
chance I had I fell to my knees and thanked my Heav- 
enly Father for the way He was helping me. A brother 
came to me at the close of the meeting and wanted to 
know if I would go to a church where they had no 
preaching for nine months, telling me that he could 
promise me nothing, not even my railroad fare, but that 
he would board wife and myself while there. The date 
was set, and I had only the price of the fare in my pocket, 
but I could trust God. 

We started from Chicago October 3d to open the 
meeting on the 4th with my patched suit of clothes, but 
I had no patches on my soul. As we climbed the hill 



god's guiding hand. 115 

from Bro. R — ■ — 's to the church, my prayer was, 
"Lord, help us." We reached the church, but what a 
sight! About eight window panes out, the steps falling 
down, and only four persons out to the first service. I 
said to Mrs. Jacobs, "Let us claim the promise, 'Where 
two are agreed as touching any one thing it shall be 
done.' Again, 'Where two or three are gathered in My 
name there am I in the midst of them.' " There was not 
much encouragement for a young evangelist, but we 
waited upon the Lord in prayer. The next night a com- 
pany of young men were walking to a dance held in 
Elkport, Iowa, and seeing lights in the church they 
came in to rest. 

The Lord gave me a message for them; two fell at 
the altar and were converted. The news spread all over 
the community and the church was soon filled with peo- 
ple. Thanks to our God who giveth us the victory. We 
remained here two weeks and over fifty souls were saved 
and sanctified. Hallelujah! When we said good-bye 
to them they placed in my hands ninety-seven dollars. 
So I got my second suit of clothes. Glory to God ! 
From this time the Lord opened up the work and kept 
us so busy that we did not return home for six months. 

The conflict of later years has not been without its 
trials and testings. Some may think that because a man 
is in the evangelistic work that he has no temptations. 



116 god's guiding hand. 

In the five years of our actual travel we have seen the 
rotten eggs, steel knuckles, revolvers, tent ropes cut, and 
we have been peeled with slanderous tongues, but with 
it all we have never had a barren meeting. God has 
blessed our labors in the salvation of many souls, and 
many have got into the "Highway cast up" for the re- 
deemed, better known as the blessed experience of Holi- 
ness, according to His promise, "Lo I am with you 
always, even unto the end of the world." 

The joy that we receive in working for the Master, 
who is able to redeem men from sin, pays us to suffer 
the reproach of this world, for the day is coming when 
we shall behold his glory. For we shall receive our 
crown and occupy a mansion which he has prepared for 
us in that "City whose builder and maker is God." 

As I read of Jesus and His testings, false accusa- 
tions and His life taken, I am compelled to exclaim that 
I know nothing of persecution; also in reading the His- 
tory of the early Christian church, for daily they gave 
up their lives for the cause of Christ. 

The five years' experience of home bumps prepared 
me for travelling, and I would not have it otherwise if 
I could help it, and count it a privilege to be a messenger 
for Jesus. 



god's guiding hand. 117 

My prayer to-day is, "Lord, spare me that I may 
be able to lead many to righteousness with the Holy 
spirit !" 

Every year the work became more precious and the 
year of 1904 has been the best year of my Christian ex- 
perience. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



TALK ON LOVE. 



Love has a wonderful power in it; much stronger 
than the combined forces or all the electric power houses 
of our land. While the power houses need wire to con- 
vey their usefulness, Love does not, but can find its way 
into the home of kings and queens as well as the hovels 
in our city. Yes, it can do more to keep peace than the 
united armies and navies of the world, for it is every- 
where. 

We find it in the sun while throwing its beaming rays 
upon the mother earth. We find it among the birds 
and animals also in protecting their young. We find it 
in our homes as the mother picks up the child and nestles 
it to her breast. We see the child reaching out for 
mother when in danger. No army nor navy can draw 
such manifestations of God's love but it is that which 
our Heavenly Father has planted within every human 

118 



god's guiding hand. 119 

heart. God's love is manifested to the human race in 
the gift of His Only Begotten Son, "For God so loved 
the world that he gave His only Begotten Son that 
whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have 
everlasting life." Jesus has said, "And if I be lifted up 
from the earth will draw all men unto me." 

"He died that we might be forgiven 
He died to make us good ; 
That we might go at last to heaven 
Saved by his precious blood." 

(John 15: 13.) "Greater love hath no man than this, 
that a man lay down his life for his friends." This verse 
shows us the greatest love of man. But Jesus laid down 
his life for us while we were yet sinners, which is divine 
love; for sinners are living in rebellion against God and 
this is that which is shed abroad in our hearts by faith 
in the Holy Ghost. 

Paul speaks of this love in the (13th chapter of 1 
Cor.) by saying, "Though I speak with the tongues of 
men and angels and have the gift of prophecy and under- 
stand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have 
all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not 
love I am nothing." All these are going to fail some 
day but love will exist throughout the countless ages 
of eternity. 



120 god's guiding hand. 

Professor Drummond says in his address that love is 
the greatest thing in the world ; love is not to be compared 
with the gifts spoken of, nor money, for the wealth of 
this world cannot buy the love of God which is a free 
gift coming from the Father of lights. God is love, John 
says when we have love we have God. But yet there is 
a difference between love and perfect love. We can 
have perfect love towards God and man and God has 
made provisions for it by opening for us a fountain for 
sin and uncleanness. He says (i John 4: 17) "Herein is 
our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the 
day of Judgment because as he is, so are we in this 
world." By this verse we find that we can be as Jesus 
was in this world for our Heavenly Father wants us to 
let our light shine before men that they may behold him 
in us, and in order for us to do this, we must manifest 
that love as Jesus did while on earth; in order that we 
may have boldness at the day of Judgment and if our 
love is perfect towards him, we will do the whole will of 
God. Jesus was once placed where he would gladly 
have had it otherwise but his cry was "Father if thou be 
willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my 
will but thine be done" (Luke 22:42.) 

This he suffered that you and I might be made per- 
fect in love. What a cry from the lips of the only be- 
gotten Son of God! But perfect love means perfect sub- 



god's guiding hand. 121 

mission and obedience, and if we are obedient we will 
have no condemnation upon our souls which will enable 
us to enjoy the fruits of perfect love, joy, peace, long 
suffering, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and we will 
have faith in God. There is but one way in which we 
can prove the wonderful drawing power of love and that 
is to be filled with it, and if filled with love we will be 
filled with the Holy Spirit, the third person of the 
Trinity and the three being one we have all. 

We cannot have perfect love without it shining 
through us. Love suffereth long and is kind and will 
draw the attention of the unsaved; it "envieth not" the 
prosperity or happiness of another but makes us all one, 
as prayed by Jesus in the 23d verse of the 17th of John 
"I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect 
in one and that the world may know that thou has sent 
me and has loved them as thou has loved me." "Love 
vaunteth not itself" makes no display of one's attain- 
ments or what one has done but will ever hold up the 
Blessed Christ as the giver of all good things. Love "is 
not puffed up" like a soap bubble that when it comes 
into close contact with other things, vanishes away but 
remains. Love "doth not behave its self unseemly" or un- 
becoming; "seeketh not her own" but like the Son of 
God is willing to deny self for the sake of others, is 
"not easily provoked;" "thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not 



122 god's guiding hand. 

in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, 
believeth all things and endureth all things. Love never 
faileth." It did not fail with Stephen when the stones 
were falling thick and fast around him, but kept him 
in that trying hour and manifested itself by his kneeling 
down and praying "Lord, lay not this sin to their 
charge." Why was it, or how could he do it? "He was 
filled with the Holy Ghost." 

Peter lacked perfect love before he received his 
pentecost for he had fear of the Judgment and denied his 
Christ. LIow many are doing that to-day ; but after the 
day of Pentecost he became bold for his Lord and felt 
unworthy to be crucified as our Lord but requested to 
be crucified head downwards. We need our hearts made 
perfect in love for Jesus has said, "Blessed are the pure 
in heart for they shall see God" and the command given 
in the Word is "Be He therefore perfect even as your 
Father which is in heaven is perfect." 

Jesus knew that the disciples were not perfected in 
love and they were not of the world even as he was not 
of the world. So he prayed, Father "Sanctify them 
through thy truth. Thy word is truth." He did not 
want them taken out of the world but kept in this world 
that they might be witnesses for him to the uttermost 
parts of the earth, and commanded them that should 
tarry at Jerusalem until they were endued with power 



god's guiding hand. 123 

from on high to keep them from the evil of this world 
which they could not do without the promise of the 
Father coming upon them. 

How they did manifest the life of perfect love in the 
world after their peritecost, for they were all one and 
left us the example showing us how to live a holy life. 
Paul too manifested this love when the jail flew open at 
the midnight hour by crying out, "Do thyself no harm." 
The man who had mistreated him was about to take his 
own life but Paul's heart being full of love, he preached 
Jesus unto them, manifesting his love to his enemies. 
Let us draw upon the store house of God that we too 
may manifest the blessed experience of perfect love, 
while in this world.' For Christ brings all his true 
disciples into an inward living union with himself and 
the Father, and thus makes us all one with each other, 
that the world may believe. The manifestations in be- 
lievers of the union of perfect love or holiness first with 
the Lord and the Son and then with one another is 
to the world the most convicing proof of the truth of 
Christ's mission of love. 

"Speak the second time, Be clean! 
Take away my inbred sin ; 
Every stumbling block remove; 
Cast it out by perfect love." 

Chas. Wesley. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE FIRST PSALM. 



"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the 
counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the 
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of 
the scornful." 

The theme of this Psalm is the permanent prosperity 
and happiness of the righteous and the certain destruc- 
tion of the wicked and is a guide for any one entering 
upon the duties of life. 

The most critical period of human life is when we set 
out into the world. Frequently the first step is decisive. 
The young adventurer, set free from the authority of 
parents, becomes his own master and follows his own 
inclination. It is then that he begins to form his char- 
acter and what is formed in early life, generally lasts. 
Our first steps ought therefore to be taken with the 
greatest care for not only our present but our Eternal 
happiness depends thereon. 

124 



GOD S GUIDING HAND. 125 

It was to direct us that the Psalmist wrote the first 
Psalm and in it he gives us the result of sin and the 
rewards of righteousness. He recommends to us to keep 
away from the ungodly and to keep out of the seat of 
the scornful and not to stand in the way of sinners. Fre- 
quently the company of the wicked is a certain introduc- 
tion to a life of wickedness. 

Mankind is more often led astray by the company of 
ungodly associates then by their own depraved inclina- 
tions. There is a cause which has often been known to 
make men associate with the profane and that is an opin- 
ion that ungodliness, especially some kinds of it, is manly 
and becoming. This opinion, although it has gained 
ground where it might not have been expected, is with- 
out foundation in nature or in fact. History tells us 
that the men who are respected to-day and honored by 
their country and people were men of God and trusted 
in his guidance. If we want the blessing of the Lord 
upon us, we must not in any way hinder the sinner from 
coming to God, which we can do in a number of ways. 

A large number to-day are standing in the way of 
sinners by making out that the Christian life is hard. 
Having no enjoyment but always wearing a long face 
as if bemoaning their fate. 

The Christ life is one of joy and sunshine, and a true 
Christian will scatter rays of light all along the wav. 



126 god's guiding hand. 

To be blessed we must not be found among the scorn- 
ful. The infidel and skeptic are laughing the Word to 
scorn. So is the man or woman who to-day is fighting 
the fact that man can be cleansed from all sin as promised 
in the Word. 

Blessed then is the man who hath not brought him- 
self into this sinful and miserable state, but who hath held 
fast his innocence and integrity in the midst of a degen- 
erate world. 

Verse 2. "His delight is in the law of the Lord." 
He makes religion and virtue the grand or principal 
business of his life in learning and doing His will, and 
His business becomes his delight. 

He does not take it up by fits and starts but makes 
it his employment day and night. He looks around with 
a pious pleasure on the landscape which the hand of the 
Almighty has made for his delight and he adores that 
benevolent power who makes all nature beautiful to his 
eye and music to his ear. 

With a cheerful and a grateful heart he contemplates 
the wonders of creation. He recalls instances of pre- 
serving goodness and he traces the annals of redeeming 
love. 

His religion does not consist in contemplation alone. 
He goeth about doing good in instructing the ignorant 
in the way that leads to Heaven ; cheering the distressed 



god's guiding hand. 127 

and aiding the fevered brow. At night he retires to rest 
with that inward sense and heart felt joy that is only 
found in a life of holiness. 

Verse 3. "And he shall be like a tree planted by 
the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his 
season, his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he 
doeth shall prosper." 

A tree planted by the rivers of water is a beautiful 
object to all who behold it but to the Jews who lived in 
a hot country and were scorched with the heat of the 
sun, it was not only an object of beauty but of usefulness 
and so is man when he is planted in the garden of his 
God and watered with the dews of Heaven. His leaf is 
ever green and he brings forth fruit of righteousness. 

He is eyes to the blind, he is feet to the lame, and will 
always have the good wishes of such on his side and 
although he should sometimes be disappointed, the con- 
sciousness of his good intentions will keep his mind at 
ease, and his faith in his Heavenly Father will, fill him 
with a contentment and peace of mind that is a stranger 
to the breast of the ungodly man even when he obtains 
his wishes. 

Verse 4. "The ungodly are not so but are like the 
chaff which the wind driveth away." 

He lives and acts at random, having no rule for his 
life but the guiding of his passions. One appetite says 



128 god's guiding hand. 

to him go and he goeth, another says come and he obeys, 
and in so doing he is driven about like the chaff before the 
wind and his life is a continued scene of folly. 

Verses 5 and 6. "Therefore the ungodly shall not 
stand in the Judgment nor sinners in the congregation of 
the righteous for the Lord knoweth the way of the 
righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish." 

The misery which the wicked endure here is but the 
beginning of their sorrow. The God whose grace they 
abused, whose mercy they rejected and whose power 
they despised is now their Judge. The wicked have no 
cause for complaint of the sentence passed upon them. 
They have been the instruments of their own ruin. They 
have put themselves out of the reach of Divine mercy 
and have become "vessels of wrath fitted for destruc- 
tion." Therefore they cannot stand in the Judgment for 
their own acts will condemn them and they will be driven 
out from the presence of the Lord into outer darkness. 

So fly from sin in all its forms. Do not meditate on it 
but keep your mind stayed on Jesus who has a mansion 
prepared for you in glory. 



JUN 29 1905 



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